Reply to Wang Anshi,Former Prime Minister
- Poetry of Su Shi

《次荆公韵》

- Last updated: 2024-01-02 11:22:06

中文原文

骑驴渺渺入荒陂，想见先生未病时。

劝我试求三亩宅，从公已觉十年迟。

English Translation

Riding an ass,I come from afar to visit you,

Still imagining you as healthy as I knew.

You advise me to buy a house at your next gate,

I'd like to follow you,but it is ten years late.

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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