Autumn stream
- Poetry of Xue Tao

《秋泉》

- Last updated: 2024-03-15 17:39:19

中文原文

冷色初澄一带烟，幽声遥泻十丝弦。

长来枕上牵情思，不使愁人半夜眠。

English Translation

At dawn,mist surrounds the little stream.

Streamwater flows like a song played by the lyre.

I lie on the bed,just can't sleep,listen to the stream,

so sweet,like your love,haunts my soul,kindles my heart fire.

By Xue Tao

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