After Rain at Rippling Pavilion: Wind Rhyme
- Poetry of Zeng Gong
Lotus mirrors fish like floating calligraphy,
Woodcutter's boat rides time's crease through geography.
Rain-sharpened springs split hairs of perception—
Why must South Lake claim reflection's perfection?
This poem was composed during the Northern Song Dynasty as a response to a friend's verse, written during a visit to Huanbo Pavilion after rain. "次韵" refers to composing poetry by following the rhyme scheme of the original poem, with "绾" likely being the name of the poet friend. "得风" serves as the rhyme character in this poem. The verses depict the scenery of the lakeside pavilion after rainfall, blending natural vitality with the poet's philosophical reflections. They showcase both meticulous observation and a serene, far-reaching state of mind, highlighting Zeng Gong's remarkable ability to craft poetic imagery—a quality that complements his status as one of the "Eight Great Prose Masters of the Tang and Song."
荷芰东西鱼映叶，樵舟朝暮客乘风。
清泉雨后分毛发，何必南湖是镜中。
- 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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