To My Friends Li Dan and Yuanxi
- Poetry of Wei Yingwu
We met last among flowers, among flowers we parted,
And here, a year later, there are flowers again;
But, with ways of the world too strange to foretell,
Spring only brings me grief and fatigue.
I am sick, and I think of my home in the country-
Ashamed to take pay while so many are idle.
...In my western tower, because of your promise,
I have watched the full moons come and go.
Seven-character-regular-verse
Composed during the Dali era of Emperor Daizong's reign while Wei Yingwu served as governor of Chuzhou, this poem emerges from a period of Tang decline marked by border conflicts and public hardship. Hearing of old friend Li Dan's impending visit, the poet pens this meditation where spring blossoms intertwine with profound longing and powerlessness toward turbulent times—a masterful fusion of scene and sentiment that mourns without despair.
去年花里逢君别，今日花开又一年。
世事茫茫难自料，春愁黯黯独成眠。
身多疾病思田里，邑有流亡愧俸钱。
闻道欲来相问讯，西楼望月几回圆。
- 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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- Along the River for Flowers Alone I
- The Cottage by the Stream
- The Lotus-Gathering Song