After you came to Northern Sea
- Poetry of Yuan Zhen
《离思五首 · 其四》
English Translation
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?
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.
中文原文( Chinese )
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。
Pre： The Summer Palace
- 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.