That year you poured the wine for me
- Poetry of Yan Jidao

《鹧鸪天》

- Last updated: 2024-03-17 18:56:55

中文原文

彩袖殷勤捧玉钟。

当年拚却醉颜红。

舞低杨柳楼心月，歌尽桃花扇底风。

从别后，忆相逢。

几回魂梦与君同。

今宵剩把银釭照，犹恐相逢是梦中。

English Translation

That year you poured the wine for me,

i drank until my face turned crimson.

You danced on the moonshine like the ripples,

the wind blew the cherry petals off and fell on your hairs.

After we left,i've been missing you so bad,

How many times i see you in the dream i don't remember.

Tonight hold i the candle to gaze your tearful face,

how stupid i am that still fear it's only a dream i wished for.

By Yan Jidao

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