Reading The Chronicle of Shu
- Poetry of Wang Anshi

《读蜀志》

English Rendering

For a thousand years the world has fought

over things as trivial as a feather—

What a pity!—

squandering lives for nothing.

Why has nobody told that Liu the truth:

his bet is to purchase some land,

And to farm

an easy living in the country?

Reading The Chronicle of Shu by Wang Anshi
Reading The Chronicle of Shu by Wang Anshi

Original Text (中文原文)

千载纷争共一毛,可怜身世两徒劳。

无人语与刘玄德,问舍求田计最高。

Analysis & Context

By Wang Anshi

Reader's Companion

The Essence of the Verse

Classical Chinese poetry thrives on Concision and Ambiguity. Without tense or number, the words create a timeless space where the reader becomes the co-creator of the poem's meaning.

Reading Between the Lines

Look for Contrasts: light and shadow, movement and stillness. Don't just translate the words; feel the Yijing (artistic conception) that lingers long after the last character.

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