Hearing the River-Song
- Poetry of Wang Changling

《听流人水调子》

English Translation

A lonely boat, a thin moon, toward the maple wood that grieves;

And to the stranger’s heart I give the sorrow of the strings it weaves.

Those ranges, fold on fold, are lost in veils of countless rain —

The broken string is gathered in where tear‑tracks have their stain.

This poem was composed during Wang Changling's late years, on his journey into exile to Qianyang.

中文原文( Chinese )

孤舟微月对枫林，分付鸣筝与客心。

岭色千重万重雨，断弦收与泪痕深。

Next：No Data

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