Nscribed on the Wall of An Inn North of Dayu Mountain
- Poetry of Song Zhiwen

《题大庾岭北驿》

- Last updated: 2024-04-25 11:45:37

中文原文

阳月南飞雁，传闻至此回。

我行殊未已，何日复归来。

江静潮初落，林昏瘴不开。

明朝望乡处，应见陇头梅。

English Translation

They say that wildgeese, flying southward,

Here turn back, this very month....

Shall my own southward journey

Ever be retraced, I wonder?

...The river is pausing at ebb-tide,

And the woods are thick with clinging mist --

But tomorrow morning, over the mountain,

Dawn will be white with the plum-trees of home.

Five-character-regular-verse

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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