I haven't know what love tastes like
- Poetry of Tang Xianzu

《阮郎归》

Tang Xianzu:汤显祖(AD1550-1616),the author of love play "The peony pavilion"( 《牡丹亭》 ),it's a poem from this play.Xianzu is a great playwriter in China,he was known as Chinese Shakespeare.

English Translation

I haven't know what love tastes like,

the dream of missing you has disillusioned.

A sad spring in my heart,

who could solace me?

Pain accumulates,thin shirt,

i flip my tears in the rose garden.

your beauty i don't know how to paint,

just slowly sink into the obsession to you.

中文原文( Chinese )

不经人事意相关,牡丹亭梦残。

断肠春色在眉弯,倩谁临远山。

排恨叠,怯衣单,花枝红泪弹。

蜀妆晴雨画来难,高唐云影间。

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.

Famous Chinese Poems

I haven't know what love tastes like - Poetry of Tang Xianzu

I haven't know what love tastes like
- Poetry of Tang Xianzu