A Parting
- Poetry of Wang Wei

《山中送别》

- Last updated: 2024-04-18 10:44:24

中文原文

山中相送罢，日暮掩柴扉。

春草明年绿，王孙归不归？

English Translation

In hills I saw you off today quite late;

At dust I came back and closed my wood gate.

When in next spring the grass turn green again,

Would you, my lord, return, too, from the plain?

By Wang Wei

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