Autumn Scene Written to Accompany a Picture Drawn by Li Shinan
- Poetry of Su Shi

《书李世南所画秋景》

- Last updated: 2024-01-05 12:39:43

中文原文

野水参差落涨痕，疏林欹倒出霜根。

扁舟一棹归何处？家在江南黄叶村。

English Translation

Creeks crisscross the meadow,banks scarred where water rose;

Sparse trees slant and let their frost-bitten roots stick out.

Do you know where the single-oared,leaf-like boat goes?

To the village of yellow leaves or thereabout.

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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