Sent to a Friend in a Late Spring Mood
- Poetry of Yu Xuanji

《暮春有感寄友人》

- Last updated: 2024-05-20 17:59:37

Sent to a Friend in a Late Spring Mood by Yu Xuanji
中文原文

莺语惊残梦，轻妆改泪容。

竹阴初月薄，江静晚烟浓。

湿觜衔泥燕，香须采蕊蜂。

独怜无限思，吟罢亚枝松。

English Translation

The chatter of orioles

breaks up my dream

I put on a little makeup

to change my tear-stained face

a young moon

shines through the bamboo shade

the smooth river

fumes with late night mist

swallows are bringing mud in their beaks

to pack their nests

bees are gathering pollen

from open flowers

I alone feel yearning

without any limit

reciting my own poems

staring up through the pines.

Five-character poem

· Pre： Watching Them Play Polo
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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