The Lotus Gatherers
- Poetry of Wang Changling
Their skirts are cut from the lotus‑leaf’s own hue;
The lotus‑flowers to their rosy faces sue.
They melt into the pond, and none can tell them there —
Till a song springs, and tells you maidens yet are near!
This poem was composed in the summer of 748 AD, the 7th year of the Tianbao era, after Wang Changling was demoted to the post of Sheriff of Longbiao. Longbiao, located in present-day Qianyang, Hunan, lies in western Hunan, a region dotted with many lakes and waterways. In summer, lotus blossoms bloom, and young women picking lotus appear among them—a quintessential scene of the Jiangnan water country. At this time, Wang Changling was in the twilight of his life, his official career fraught with setbacks, far from his homeland. Yet, this poem shows not a trace of the bitterness of banishment, only a keen observation and passionate praise for life and beauty.
荷叶罗裙一色裁，芙蓉向脸两边开。
乱入池中看不见，闻歌始觉有人来。
- 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.
- The Lotus Gatherers
- In a Monk’s Cell
- Gazing at Lake Dongting
- Eastern Hamlet, Northern Slope
- My Neighbor South
- By Waterside I