Mid-autumn Moon
- Poetry of Su Shi

《阳关曲·中秋作》

- Last updated: 2024-04-02 14:53:20

中文原文

暮云收尽溢清寒，银汉无声转玉盘。

此生此夜不长好，明月明年何处看。

English Translation

The evening clouds are gone, the air is cool and clear,

The Milky Way is mute, the moon a shining sphere.

This life and lovely night will not last long for me,

Then where shall I another year this bright moon see?

By Su Shi

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