Answering Vice-Prefect Zhang
- Poetry of Wang Wei

《酬张少府》

Answering Vice-Prefect Zhang by Wang Wei

English Translation

As the years go by, give me but peace,

Freedom from ten thousand matters.

I ask myself and always answer:

What can be better than coming home?

A wind from the pine-trees blows my sash,

And my lute is bright with the mountain moon.

You ask me about good and evil fortune?....

Hark, on the lake there's a fisherman singing!

Five-character-regular-verse

Composed during Wang Wei's later years, this poetic response to Vice-Prefect Zhang reflects his withdrawal from political turmoil to the tranquil Wang River estate. Blending landscape with emotion, it conveys both his reclusive aspirations and resigned helplessness toward contemporary affairs.

中文原文( Chinese )

Simplified Chinese Version

晚年唯好静，万事不关心。

自顾无长策，空知返旧林。

松风吹解带，山月照弹琴。

君问穷通理，渔歌入浦深。

Traditional Chinese Version

晚年惟好靜，萬事不關心。

自顧無長策，空知返舊林。

松風吹解帶，山月照彈琴。

君問窮通理，漁歌入浦深。

Pre： Mount ZhongNan

Next：Stopping at Incense Storing Temple

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.

Answering Vice-Prefect Zhang - Poetry of Wang Wei

Answering Vice-Prefect Zhang
- Poetry of Wang Wei