Lyrics to a Melody of Walking on Grass
- Poetry of Yan Shu
On the sea aquamarine with no billows there is a path to the celestial terrace,
We should be able to there fly towards as a pair if our hearts so wish.
Once I left behind rashly the object of my affections,
Now being mountains and waters apart I know not where she is.
A dusty, delicately woven mat remains in the bed chamber lightly veiled by mist,
On whom could I rely to bring you a crimson note in small script?
On a tall building I look into the distance and see the day drawing to a close,
As a whistling drizzle rustles the leafage of phoenix trees.
This lyric was composed in 1027 during Yan Shu's political exile. Having opposed the powerful minister Zhang Qi's promotion to head the Bureau of Military Affairs and subsequently offended the emperor with untoward remarks at the Jade Purity Temple, Yan Shu was demoted to govern Xuancheng. Written during this journey of disgrace, the poem transforms personal sorrow into landscape imagery, expressing complex emotions of regret, longing, and resignation.
碧海无波，瑶台有路。思量便合双飞去。
当时轻别意中人，山长水远知何处。
绮席凝尘，香闺掩雾。红笺小字凭谁附？
高楼目尽欲黄昏，梧桐叶上萧萧雨。
- 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.
- Sobering from Drunkenness in Spring Day
- Lodging with the Master of the Clear Stream
- An Impromptu Verse After Being Drunk on Tongguan Mountain
- Song of a Southern Maiden: Winter
- Staying Overnight with a Friend
- The Sick Horse
- A Painted Hawk
- A Quatrain I
- A Quatrain II
- Leaving Home Again