<Riverside town> Hunting at Mizhou
- Poetry of Su Shi

《江城子·密州出猎》

This poem was written in 1075 when the poet was magistrate of Mizhou."The Wolf"here stands for the Qiang tribesmen then fighting with the Hans.

English Translation

Rejuvenated,my fiery zeal I display:

Left hand leashing a yellow hound,

On the right wrist a falcon gray.

A thousand silk-capped and sable-coated horsemen sweep

Across the rising ground

And hillocks steep.

Townspeople come out of the city gate

To watch the tiger-hunting magistrate.

Heart gladdened with strong wine, who cares

For a few frosted hairs?

When will the imperial court send

Me as envoy with flags and banners? Then I'll bend

My bow like a full moon,and aiming northwest,

I Will shoot down the Wolf from the sky.

中文原文( Chinese )

老夫聊发少年狂，左牵黄，右擎苍，锦帽貂裘，千骑卷平冈。

为报倾城随太守，亲射虎，看孙郎。

酒酣胸胆尚开张，鬓微霜，又何妨！

持节云中，何日遣冯唐？

会挽雕弓如满月，西北望，射天狼。

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.

Famous Chinese Poems