The Moon at the Mid-Autumn Night
- Poetry of Yan Shu

《中秋月》

- Last updated: 2024-03-31 16:16:18

中文原文

一轮霜影转庭梧，此夕羁人独向隅。

未必素娥无怅恨，玉蟾清冷桂花孤。

English Translation

The pale moon shadow moves past the yard's phoenix tree,

On this night the sojourner alone is sad as sad could be;

The Moon Goddess Chang-e must have the same feeling:

She has only toad and osmanthus to keep her company.

By Yan Shu

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