A Song of an Autumn Night
- Poetry of Wang Wei

《秋夜曲》

English Translation

Under the crescent moon a light autumn dew

Has chilled the robe she will not change --

And she touches a silver lute all night,

Afraid to go back to her empty room.

Folk-song-styled-verse

This landscape poem depicts the tranquility of an autumn night and the poet's inner solitude. Wang Wei masterfully blends natural imagery with personal emotion, conveying profound philosophical reflection through concise and vivid language. The verses capture the quiet beauty of the season while revealing the poet's lonely introspection, demonstrating his deep connection to nature and contemplative mind.

中文原文( Chinese )

桂魄初生秋露微，轻罗已薄未更衣。

银筝夜久殷勤弄，心怯空房不忍归。

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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.

A Song of an Autumn Night - Poetry of Wang Wei

A Song of an Autumn Night
- Poetry of Wang Wei