Spring Day
- Poetry of Su Shi

《春日》

English Translation

Cooing pigeons and nursling swallows weave no cries,

Sunlight piercing western windows dazzles the eyes.

Awakened from noonday torpor,indolent I stay,

And enjoy in my spring sleep a sunny spring day.

By Su Shi

中文原文( Chinese )

鸣鸠乳燕寂无声，日射西窗泼眼明。

午醉醒来无一事，只将春睡赏春晴。

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.