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Post by Lone Crane on Jul 23, 2014 14:36:54 GMT
This thread is for the posting and discussion of any and all Chinese poetry, new or old. I'll start this thread with one of my own, a poem I wrote a few days ago. I'm just getting started learning the rules for Classical poetry, but I think this one fits all the rules.
愁林
金風起遠山盈彩, 獨自幽林繞慮行。 古道中楓枝泣血, 心跳踏脆葉惟聲。
Rough translation:
Forest of Worry
The gold wind rises, the distant mountains full of color, Alone I wind my way through a gloomy forest, lost in thought. On the old path, the maple branches weep blood, My heartbeat and the crisp crunch of dry leaves the only sound.
This poem is a seven-character cut-verse (七言絕句). It sounds a lot better in Chinese than in English, as it rhymes in Chinese and there are some double entendres as well. It's nothing much, but of the poems I've written I like this one the best.
Feel free to post your own poems as well, or your favorite poems from other poets.
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Post by siuyiu on Jul 23, 2014 15:54:18 GMT
lovely! very evocative! just so you know, the rhyme scheme doesn't work in cantonese. ;P sounds right in mandarin, though, so no worries. please correct me if i'm wrong: i thought the rhythm for 七言絕句 had to be a 4+3 or 2+2+3? at least, that was what i remember from school.
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Post by Lone Crane on Jul 23, 2014 16:46:54 GMT
lovely! very evocative! just so you know, the rhyme scheme doesn't work in cantonese. ;P sounds right in mandarin, though, so no worries. please correct me if i'm wrong: i thought the rhythm for 七言絕句 had to be a 4+3 or 2+2+3? at least, that was what i remember from school. You're probably right on the rhythm. I usually think of it as 2+2+3, but I just went with what I could think up. There's so many rules. The rhyme scheme is based on Middle Chinese. I used a rhyme book to check the rhymes. Was surprised that 聲 was in the same group as 行, but Middle Chinese was pronounced a lot differently. I would be interested to hear it in Taiwanese, which like Cantonese also preserves the 入聲 sounds. If my Taiwanese was better I would write it with that pronunciation in mind.
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Post by siuyiu on Jul 23, 2014 18:38:30 GMT
lovely! very evocative! just so you know, the rhyme scheme doesn't work in cantonese. ;P sounds right in mandarin, though, so no worries. please correct me if i'm wrong: i thought the rhythm for 七言絕句 had to be a 4+3 or 2+2+3? at least, that was what i remember from school. You're probably right on the rhythm. I usually think of it as 2+2+3, but I just went with what I could think up. There's so many rules. The rhyme scheme is based on Middle Chinese. I used a rhyme book to check the rhymes. Was surprised that 聲 was in the same group as 行, but Middle Chinese was pronounced a lot differently. I would be interested to hear it in Taiwanese, which like Cantonese also preserves the 入聲 sounds. If my Taiwanese was better I would write it with that pronunciation in mind. OMG, the rules are a bitch! it's amazing that anyone could come up with anything! that's really interesting about the rhyme scheme! brings up the question of whether any of the "modern" dialects still resemble middle chinese enough that the old rhyme schemes still work! i've been told different things over the years, and even my old university prof for chinese history didn't know.
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Post by siuyiu on Jul 23, 2014 20:03:13 GMT
on the subject of favourite poems, here are some (and no, i couldn't write a poem, even in english, to save my life):
春望 杜甫
國破山河在,城春草木深。 感時花濺淚,恨別鳥驚心。 峰火連三月,家書抵萬金。 白頭搔更短,渾欲不勝簪。
Spring View by Du Fu
The country is broken, though hills and rivers remain, In the city in spring, grass and trees are thick. Moved by the moment, a flower's splashed with tears, Mourning parting, a bird startles the heart. The beacon fires have joined for three months now, Family letters are worth ten thousand pieces. I scratch my head, its white hairs growing thinner, And barely able now to hold a hairpin.
客至 杜甫
舍南舍北皆春水, 但見群鷗日日來。 花徑不曾緣客掃, 蓬門今始為君開。 盤飧市遠無兼味, 樽酒家貧只舊醅。 肯與鄰翁相對飲, 隔籬呼取盡餘杯。
A Guest Arrives by Du Fu
South of my hut, north of my hut, all is spring water, A flock of gulls is all I see come each day. The floral path has never been swept for a guest, Today for the first time the rough gate opens for the gentleman. Far from the market, my food has little taste, My poor home can offer only stale and cloudy wine. Consent to have a drink with my elderly neighbour, At the fence I'll call him, then we'll finish it off.
閣夜 杜甫
歲暮陰陽催短景 天涯霜雪霽寒宵 五更鼓角聲悲壯 三峽星河影動搖 野哭幾家聞戰伐 夷歌數處起漁樵 臥龍躍馬終黃土 人事音書漫寂寥
Night in the Pavilion by Du Fu
At year's end, yin and yang hurry the shortened day, At sky's end, frost and snow clear the frozen night. Fifth watch: the drum and horn sound out mournful and strong, Three gorges: the river of stars casts its trembling shadow. Countryside cries from a thousand homes hearing news of the fighting, Barbaric songs here and there rise from fishers and woodsmen. Sleeping Dragon and Leaping Horse both ended in yellow dirt; Waiting for news of worldly affairs brings me useless grief.
早發白帝城 李白
朝辭白帝彩雲間, 千里江陵一日還。 兩岸猿聲啼不住, 輕舟已過萬重山。
THROUGH THE YANGZI GORGES by Li Bai
From the walls of Baidi high in the coloured dawn To Jiangling by night-fall is three hundred miles, Yet monkeys are still calling on both banks behind me To my boat these ten thousand mountains away.
暮江吟 白居易
一道殘陽鋪水中,半江瑟瑟半江紅。 可憐九月初三夜,霜似真珠月似弓。
Song of Sunset on the River by Bai Juyi
A strip of water's spread in the setting sun, Half the river's emerald, half is red. I love the third night of the ninth month, The dew is like pearl; the moon like a bow.
花非花 白居易
花非花,霧非霧。 夜半來,天明去。 來如春夢幾多時? 去似朝雲無覓處。
The Bloom is Not a Bloom Bai Juyi
The bloom is not a bloom, The mist not mist. At midnight she comes, And goes again at dawn. She comes like a spring dream - how long will she stay? She goes like morning cloud, without a trace.
虞美人 李煜
春花秋月何時了? 往事知多少! 小樓昨夜又東風, 故國不堪回首月明中! 雕闌玉砌應猶在, 只是朱顏改。 問君能有幾多愁? 恰似一江春水向東流!
Oh When Will Autumn Moon and Spring Flowers End by Li Yu
Oh when will autumn moon and spring flowers end? How many past events I've known. The east wind buffeted my room again last night, I cannot bear to remember the bright moon of the old country. The marble steps and carved balustrades must still be there, The people's rosy cheeks are all that's changed. How much sorrow can one man have to bear? As much as a river of spring water flowing east.
水調歌頭 蘇軾
明月幾時有,把酒問青天。 不知天上宮闕,今夕是何年。 我欲乘風歸去,又恐瓊樓玉宇,高處不勝寒。 起舞弄清影,何似在人間。 轉朱閣,低綺戶,照無眠。 不應有恨,何事長向別時圓。 人有悲歡離合,月有陰晴圓缺,此事古難全。 但願人長久,千里共嬋娟。
"Prelude to Water Melody" by Su Shi
How long will the full moon appear? Wine cup in hand, I ask the sky. I do not know what time of the year It would be tonight in the palace on high. Riding the wind, there I would fly, Yet I'm afraid the crystalline palace would be Too high and cold for me. I rise and dance, with my shadow I play. On high as on earth, would it be as gay?
The moon goes round the mansions red Through gauze-draped window soft to shed Her light upon the sleepless bed. Why then when people part, is the oft full and bright? Men have sorrow and joy; they part or meet again; The moon is bright or dim and she may wax or wane. There has been nothing perfect since the olden days. So let us wish that man Will live long as he can! Though miles apart, we'll share the beauty she displays. (by Xu Yuanchong)
(sources of translations: chinese-poems(dot)com, shigeku(dot)com, history(dot)cultural-china(dot)com)
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Post by Lone Crane on Jul 24, 2014 5:31:41 GMT
on the subject of favourite poems, here are some (and no, i couldn't write a poem, even in english, to save my life): 春望 杜甫 國破山河在,城春草木深。 感時花濺淚,恨別鳥驚心。 峰火連三月,家書抵萬金。 白頭搔更短,渾欲不勝簪。 Spring View by Du Fu The country is broken, though hills and rivers remain, In the city in spring, grass and trees are thick. Moved by the moment, a flower's splashed with tears, Mourning parting, a bird startles the heart. The beacon fires have joined for three months now, Family letters are worth ten thousand pieces. I scratch my head, its white hairs growing thinner, And barely able now to hold a hairpin. A lot of good poems there. This one is esepcially good for showing how deep and versatile Chinese poetry can be. Because there are no pronouns in this poem, it can be read different ways. For example, are the flowers shedding tears, or does seeing the flowers make the narrator shed tears? It could be either way. Is the bird the one startled, or does its call or sudden departure startle the narrator? These different readings add extra dimensions to the poem, something you just can't achieve in English where pronouns are a must. The economy of language, how few characters can be used to express a lot, is one of things I love about Chinese poetry, and the language itself. Of course that also makes it difficult to translate to English sometimes.
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Post by siuyiu on Jul 24, 2014 18:19:11 GMT
on the subject of favourite poems, here are some (and no, i couldn't write a poem, even in english, to save my life): 春望 杜甫 國破山河在,城春草木深。 感時花濺淚,恨別鳥驚心。 峰火連三月,家書抵萬金。 白頭搔更短,渾欲不勝簪。 Spring View by Du Fu The country is broken, though hills and rivers remain, In the city in spring, grass and trees are thick. Moved by the moment, a flower's splashed with tears, Mourning parting, a bird startles the heart. The beacon fires have joined for three months now, Family letters are worth ten thousand pieces. I scratch my head, its white hairs growing thinner, And barely able now to hold a hairpin. A lot of good poems there. This one is esepcially good for showing how deep and versatile Chinese poetry can be. Because there are no pronouns in this poem, it can be read different ways. For example, are the flowers shedding tears, or does seeing the flowers make the narrator shed tears? It could be either way. Is the bird the one startled, or does its call or sudden departure startle the narrator? These different readings add extra dimensions to the poem, something you just can't achieve in English where pronouns are a must. The economy of language, how few characters can be used to express a lot, is one of things I love about Chinese poetry, and the language itself. Of course that also makes it difficult to translate to English sometimes. ha, which is why i limited myself to poems with existing translations! no way i can even begin an attempt! and yes, subtleties and layers of meaning are the aim, which is why they're also so hard to comprehend at times! lack of pronouns is one difficulty in translating; the other is verb conjugation--in terms of how to try and keep the rhythm and mood without making each line of text impossibly long-winded!
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Post by chefying on Jul 25, 2014 17:01:31 GMT
Talking about poems, I got cheated a poem - well, more misled than anything else, I suppose. The (in)famous Yellow River is accessible from the town of YongJi, down the southern tip of the Province of Shanxi. I had read of a poem which goes:- 白日依山尽 黄河入海流 欲穷千里目 更上一层楼which roughly translates as:- "The setting sun fades behind the hills, The Yellow River flows into the sea Desirous of a view of a thousand miles Necessitates climbing one more tier." This poem refers to a tower called Crane Tower. As can be visualised by the poem, it promises a great view. So off I went to see and climb this tower. As it turned out, this tower was reconstructed here ten years ago because the original site is now under the Yellow River. There is a statue of the poet at the top floor of the tower and naturally, it held a scroll with this poem "written" (etched) on it. The above poem was wrongly attributed to Li Bo 李白 as per the statue when the composer was actually Wang Zhi Huan 王之涣. I felt rather aggrieved. Meanwhile, at the topmost floor, this was the "scenery". I could hardly see more than 50 miles due to the pollution, talk not of a thousand miles as promised by the poem. Meanwhile the sun was totally obscured, and neither could I see any mountains, so the there goes the "setting sun fades behind the mountains". As for the Yellow River, was quite a long way away - I had to take a taxi to have a look at it, and I decided to leave my footprint there (below). In a nutshell, the tower was a replica, no sight of the sun nor mountains, no Yellow River flowing anywhere, ascending the stairs yields not scenery of a thousand miles.... I want my money back!
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Post by Admin on Aug 5, 2014 14:14:09 GMT
Good job guys! To be honest, I don't understand poems. Not to mention that Chinese is not my native language, even poem in my own native language I can't comprehend :S :S :S
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