Joy of Hearing orioles: Flowers Are Endless
- Poetry of Yan Shu
Flowers are endless, willows beyond count;
They share my feelings, I dare vow.
Drain a boat-shaped cup of wine at one draught!
Where can we not meet somehow?
Red strings are mute,
Few are the connoisseurs.
If Heaven had a heart, it would turn old.
Look at the fame-and-gain world, I’m told:
A dream both past and present, dim and cold.
This lyric was composed during the mid-Northern Song Dynasty when Yan Shu held high office. Renowned for his literary talent since childhood, Yan passed the imperial examination at a young age and rose smoothly to the position of prime minister. However, the political climate of his time was far from clear - factional strife and power struggles made the officialdom a battlefield. Though framed as a farewell poem, the work reveals clear-eyed insight into life's realities and subtle weariness. Its tone stands out among Yan's works for its rare world-weariness and melancholy, subtly conveying his profound reflections on political turmoil and life's impermanent reunions.
花不尽，柳无穷。
应与我情同。
觥船一棹百分空。
何处不相逢。
朱弦悄。知音少。
天若有情应老。
劝君看取利名场。
今古梦茫茫。
- 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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