The Courier Station at Ge Creek
- Poetry of Wang Anshi
A broken moon drips through the clepsydra,
One lamp dissects autumn's sickbed aura.
Ailing, I sense dew's early sting—
Dreams bypass miles wandering.
Seated, I chant time's cruel ode,
Standing, scan earth's grim color-code.
Cicadas flay the wayfarer's brain—
Sparse tung leaves clutch their rusting chain.
This poem was composed by Wang Anshi either en route to a new official post or during his retirement retreat, at the Gexi Post Station in Yiyang, Jiangxi. The poet, possibly ailing or burdened with thoughts, finds himself physically and mentally exhausted during his travels. As a seasoned statesman weathered by political reforms, he pauses at this waystation and, under the solitary lamp of an autumn night, perceives an inner and outer chill that stirs his emotions, which he channels into the wind and dew. While ostensibly depicting autumnal scenes at a roadside inn, the poem harbors deep yearnings for home and anxieties about current affairs, weaving tender sentiments with far-reaching implications.
缺月昏昏漏未央，一灯明来照秋床。
病身最觉风露早，归梦不知山水长。
坐感岁时歌慷慨，起看天地色凄凉。
鸣蝉更乱行人耳，正抱疏桐叶半黄。
- 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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- Winter Night at My Lodging: To Imperial Archivist Chu
- Night in the Taoist Cosmos
- The Temple in Crimson Mist
- Inscription at Zhao Yin Temple: Elder Xuan’s Chamber
- Yiai Temple