Lamentations Ⅰ
- Poetry of Wang Can

《七哀诗-其一》

English Rendering

As the western capital falls to civil strife,

Usurpers grab for power,ruining life.

I'll leave the mid-land for a second time,

Seeking shelter in the southern clime.

Full of sorrow are my kith and kin,

Ready to follow me through thick and thin.

Along the way,nothing may be found,

Nothing but dried bones that dot the ground.


I see a hungry woman on the way 

Discard her son amid the grass and hay.

From behind me comes a weep and cry 

Of the woman moaning loud her reason why:

"As I myself know not where I shall die,

How are we to keep the maternal tie?"


I gallop past the woman in great haste,

Nor bear nor hear the words of bitter taste.

When I reach the tomb of Emperor Wen,

I look back at abandoned Chang'an again.

With the poem Spring Waters in my mind,

I'm sad for lack of kings so wise and kind.

Lamentations Ⅰ by Wang Can
Lamentations Ⅰ by Wang Can

Original Text (中文原文)

西京乱无象,豺虎方遘患。

复弃中国去,委身适荆蛮。

亲戚对我悲,朋友相追攀。

出门无所见,白骨蔽平原。

路有饥妇人,抱子弃草间。

顾闻号泣声,挥涕独不还。

“未知身死处,何能两相完?”

驱马弃之去,不忍听此言。

南登霸陵岸,回首望长安。

悟彼下泉人,喟然伤心肝!

Analysis & Context

Wang Can was one of the Seven Scholars of the Jian'an Period and ranked the highest in literary achievements.His poetry and verse prose were both tinged with griev-ance.For instance,Lamentations for the people's deep sufferings from the wars and disturbances presents a pitiable picture of the world that lin-gers in the readers'hearts.

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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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