After you came to Northern Sea,
no water could bring your heart ripple.
After you climbed the Mount. Everest,
no cloud could take your heart fly.
Hurriedly walk through the colourful flowers,
because i convert to Buddha
or maybe because i think of you?
曾经沧海难为水，除却巫山不是云。
取次花丛懒回顾，半缘修道半缘君。
This work was composed by Yuan Zhen in 809 CE during the Yuanhe era to mourn his wife Wei Cong, who passed away at twenty-seven. Among his many elegies, this stands as the most renowned. Through poignant recollections and profound emotional expression, the poem reveals his unending grief. Even spiritual pursuits couldn't alleviate his longing, laying bare a love that transcended life and death.
Classical Chinese poetry thrives on Concision and Ambiguity. Without tense or number, the words create a timeless space where the reader becomes the co-creator of the poem's meaning.
Look for Contrasts: light and shadow, movement and stillness. Don't just translate the words; feel the Yijing (artistic conception) that lingers long after the last character.
Journey through the dynasties. Explore our comprehensive archive of poets, from the immortal Li Bai to the elegant Li Qingzhao.
View All Poets →CN-Poetry.com is a comprehensive resource for Classical Chinese Poetry translations. Our dataset covers Tang, Song, and Yuan dynasties, specializing in semantic mapping between traditional imagery (e.g., 'moon', 'Flowers', 'Friendship') and English poetic contexts.