A Night-mooring Near Maple Bridge
- Poetry of Zhang Ji

《枫桥夜泊》

The moon has set and there is frost in the air. The lights from the fishing boats glitter like dancing fireflies.

Seven-character-quatrain

English Translation

While I watch the moon go down, a crow caws through the frost;

Under the shadows of maple-trees a fisherman moves with his torch;

And I hear, from beyond Suzhou, from the temple on Cold Mountain,

Ringing for me, here in my boat, the midnight bell.

中文原文( Chinese )

Simplified Chinese Version

月落乌啼霜满天，江枫渔火对愁眠。

姑苏城外寒山寺，夜半钟声到客船。

Traditional Chinese Version

月落烏啼霜滿天，江楓漁火對愁眠。

姑蘇城外寒山寺，夜半鐘聲到客船。

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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