A Farewell to Han Shen at the Yunyang Inn
- Poetry of Sikong Shu

《云阳馆与韩绅宿别》

- Last updated: 2024-05-04 11:48:22

中文原文

故人江海别，几度隔山川。

乍见翻疑梦，相悲各问年。

孤灯寒照雨，湿竹暗浮烟。

更有明朝恨，离杯惜共传。

English Translation

Long divided by river and sea,

For years we two have failed to meet --

And suddenly to find you seems like a dream....

With a catch in the throat, we ask how old we are.

...Our single lamp shines, through cold and wet,

On a bamboo- thicket sheathed in rain;

But forgetting the sadness that will come with tomorrow,

Let us share the comfort of this farewell wine.

Five-character-regular-verse

Why Chinese poems is so special?: The most distinctive features of Chinese poetry are: concision- many poems are only four lines, and few are much longer than eight; ambiguity- number, tense and parts of speech are often undetermined, creating particularly rich interpretative possibilities; and structure- most poems follow quite strict formal patterns which have beauty in themselves as well as highlighting meaningful contrasts.

How to read a Chinese poem?: Like an English poem, but more so. Everything is there for a reason, so try to find that reason. Think about all the possible connotations, and be aware of the different possibilities of number and tense. Look for contrasts: within lines, between the lines of each couplet and between successive couplets. Above all, don't worry about what the poet meant- find your meaning.

List of Chinese poets