I've undergone too much sadness in love
- Poetry of Wang Guowei

《蝶恋花》

- Last updated: 2024-03-22 20:48:25

中文原文

阅尽天涯离别苦，不道归来，零落花如许。

花底相看无一语，绿窗春与天俱莫。

待把相思灯下诉，一缕新欢，旧恨千千缕。

最是人间留不住，朱颜辞镜花辞树。

English Translation

I've undergone too much sadness in love,

but revisited here,still i was surprised that

all those beautiful things fade away like sakuras.

Remembered we were quiet under the cherry tree,

that year was so beautiful,now only grass grew.

I wanted to tell my yearning to her under candle,

but sniffed the sakuras,finally i was heartbroken that

all those beautiful things withered away like May.

What's the most valuable thing in this world?

That's the past youth and the gorgeous flowers that only bloom for a moment

By Wang Guowei

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.

List of Chinese poets