Dreaming of the South
- Poetry of Wen Tingyun

《望江南·梳洗罢》

- Last updated: 2024-03-21 19:57:21

Dreaming of the South by Wen Tingyun
中文原文

梳洗罢，独倚望江楼。

过尽千帆皆不是，斜晖脉脉水悠悠。

肠断白蘋洲。

English Translation

After dressing my hair,

I alone climb the stair.

On the railings I lean,

To view the river scene.

Many sails pass me by,

But not the one for which wait l.

The slanting sun sheds a sympathetic ray,

The carefree river carries it away.

My heart breaks at the sight

Of the islet with duckweed white.

Wen Tingyun (813-870) was traditionally regarded as the first major lyricist.His lyrics are richly embellished and full of implicit meaning,but this poem simply narrates in the folk-song manner the sorrow of a young woman who,gazing on the river and the islet where people used to bid farewell,is waiting all day long for the return of her husband.

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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.

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