<Riverside Town> Farewell to Governor Chen at Bamboo Pavilion on Lonely Hill
- Poetry of Su Shi

《江城子·孤山竹阁送述古》

English Rendering

Her eyebrows penciled dark,she feels shy to be seen

Hidden behind a silken fan so green,

Stealthily she sheds tear on tear.

Let me drink farewell to you and hear 

Her sing,with tears wiped away,her song of adieu.

Do not say the imperial town is as far as the sky.

It is easier to see the sun high

Than to meet you.


The newly built painted hall to Lonely Hill is near.

For whom is made

The winding balustrade?

Falling flowers and willow down fly;

Spring belongs to next year.

I try to row a boat to find the things gone by

O whom can I ask?In my eye

I only see water one with the sky.

<Riverside Town> Farewell to Governor Chen at Bamboo Pavilion on Lonely Hill by Su Shi
<Riverside Town> Farewell to Governor Chen at Bamboo Pavilion on Lonely Hill by Su Shi

Original Text (中文原文)

翠蛾羞黛怯人看。掩霜纨,泪偷弹。

且尽一尊,收泪唱《阳关》。

漫道帝城天样远,天易见,见君难。

画堂新构近孤山。曲栏干,为谁安?

飞絮落花,春色属明年。

欲棹小舟寻旧事,无处问,水连天。

Analysis & Context

The poet writes this lyric for a songstress to bid adieu to the governor of Hangzhou.

Reader's Companion

The Essence of the Verse

Classical Chinese poetry thrives on Concision and Ambiguity. Without tense or number, the words create a timeless space where the reader becomes the co-creator of the poem's meaning.

Reading Between the Lines

Look for Contrasts: light and shadow, movement and stillness. Don't just translate the words; feel the Yijing (artistic conception) that lingers long after the last character.

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