In the Hills
- Poetry of Wang Wei

《山中》

English Translation

White pebbles hear a blue stream glide;

Red leaves are strewn on cold hillside.

Along the path no rain is seen,

My gown is moist with drizzling green.

Wang Wei achieved remarkable mastery in both landscape painting and poetry, often merging natural scenery with his inner emotions to depict an isolated yet serene mountain life. This poem captures the mountain landscape in early winter through keen observation and profound insight, portraying a tranquil, fresh, and vibrant scene.

中文原文( Chinese )

荆溪白石出，天寒红叶稀。

山路元无雨，空翠湿人衣。

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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.

In the Hills - Poetry of Wang Wei

In the Hills
- Poetry of Wang Wei