Too much have I decayed!
- Poetry of Xin Qiji

《贺新郎·甚矣吾衰矣》
Too much have I decayed! by Xin Qiji
English Translation

Alas, all my life I've seen friends and companions fall off,

And now how many of them survive?

With gray hair hanging in vain three thousand zhang long,

I laugh away all worldly things.

Is there anything left, you ask, that might cheer me?

I see in green mountains such charm allure,

I expect they see the same in me,

For in heart and in appearance

We are a bit similar.

Goblet in hand, scratching my head at the east window,

I presume that Tao Yuanming, having finished his poem

Hovering Clouds,

Was in the same mood I am now.

Those on the south side of the Yangtze who play drunkard

in pursuit of fame,

How could they know the magic of unstrained wine?

Looking back, I'll conjure a gust of wind

and send clouds flying.

I regret not that I can't meet the ancients,

But that the ancients had no chance to see my wildness.

Those who understand me

Number only two or three.

By Xin Qiji

中文原文( Chinese )

甚矣吾衰矣。

怅平生、交游零落，只今余几！

白发空垂三千丈，一笑人间万事。

问何物、能令公喜？

我见青山多妩媚，料青山见我应如是。

情与貌，略相似。

一尊搔首东窗里。

想渊明、停云诗就，此时风味。

江左沉酣求名者，岂识浊醪妙理。

回首叫、云飞风起。

不恨古人吾不见，恨古人、不见吾狂耳。

知我者，二三子。

- Last updated: 2024-02-23 11:13:38
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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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