Written for the Meditation Room of the Abbot of the Double Bamboo Monastery
- Poetry of Su Shi

《书双竹湛师房 (其二)》

- Last updated: 2024-03-23 17:13:15

中文原文

暮鼓朝钟自击撞，闭门孤枕对残釭。

白灰旋拨通红火，卧听萧萧雨打窗。

English Translation

You beat your evening drum and ring your morning bell,

Doors closed, a pillow facing a lamp, you rest well.

After poking among gray ashes embers red,

You hear snow-flakes fall shower by shower while abed.

The Double Bamboo Monastery, a popular name for the Temple of Compassionate God of Mercy, was in Hangzhou.

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