Returning to Songshan Mountain
- Poetry of Wang Wei

《归嵩山作》

- Last updated: 2024-04-26 16:20:54

中文原文

Simplified Chinese Version

清川带长薄，车马去闲闲。

流水如有意，暮禽相与还。

荒城临古渡，落日满秋山。

迢递嵩高下，归来且闭关。

Traditional Chinese Version

清川帶長薄，車馬去閑閑。

流水如有意，暮禽相與還。

荒城臨古渡，落日滿秋山。

迢遞嵩高下，歸來且閉關。

English Translation

The limpid river, past its bushes

Running slowly as my chariot,

Becomes a fellow voyager

Returning home with the evening birds.

A ruined city-wall overtops an old ferry,

Autumn sunset floods the peaks.

...Far away, beside Mount Song,

I shall close my door and be at peace.

Five-character-regular-verse

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