Song of the Sunny Pass (The Mid-autumn Moon)
- Poetry of Su Shi

《阳关曲·中秋作》

- Last updated: 2024-03-23 14:29:01

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

Evening clouds withdrawn,pure cold air floods the sky;

The River of Stars mute,a jade plate turns on high.

How oft can we enjoy a fine mid-autumn night?

Where shall we view next year a silver moon so bright?

Created in 1077

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