For Kinsfolk and Friends at Guangling
- Poetry of Wei Yingwu
《淮上即事寄广陵亲故》
English Translation
Gone is the ferry boat.
Who'll carry me afloat?
At dusk uphill bell rings;
Over seaside rain sings.
Grief saddens the waves cold;
My face and hair look old.
Southeast flies a lone bird;
Your voices can't be heard.
This poem was written in the autumn of the fourth year of Dali (769 AD) when the poet was returning north to Luoyang via Chuzhou after leaving Yangzhou. It expresses the poet's longing for friends and family left behind in Guangling (Yangzhou), particularly his elder brother and close friend Lu Yu. The poem subtly conveys deep emotions, blending them with the melancholy beauty of the depicted scenes.
中文原文( Chinese )
前舟已眇眇，欲渡谁相待？
秋山起暮钟，楚雨连沧海。
风波离思满，宿昔容鬓改。
独鸟下东南，广陵何处在？
- 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.
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