On My Way to New Town
- Poetry of Su Shi

《新城道中》

1073

English Translation

The eastern wind foresees I will go to the wood;

It blows off endless songs sung by rain on the eaves.

The mountain's crowned with rainbow cloud like silken hood;

The rising sun like a brass gong hangs o' er the leaves.

Peach blossoms smile o' er the bamboo fence not tall;

Willow trees by the clear sand-paved brook sway and swing.

Folks in the Western Hills should be happiest of all;

They send well-cooked food to those who till in spring.

中文原文( Chinese )

东风知我欲山行，吹断檐间积雨声。

岭上睛云披絮帽，树头初日挂铜征。

野桃含笑竹篱短，溪柳自摇沙水清。

西雌人家应最乐，煮葵烧笋饷春耕。

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.

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