How to Read Chinese Poetry A Guided Anthology

P e n ta s y l l a biC Sh i P oe t ry : t He “ni ne t e e n ol D P oe m s ” 111

wife falls asleep, whom she sees in her dream, and where she finds herself upon
waking. By contrast, poem 16 provides minute, intimate details of the neglected
wife’s dream: her feeling of estrangement (lines 6–7), her subliminal fulfillment
of what she cannot fulfill in her waking life (lines 9–12), and her mournful awaken-
ing to the impossibility of regaining her lost love (lines 13–16). Her complex emo-
tions range from elation to utter despair.

C 5. 6

No. 17, The First Winter Month: The Cold Air Comes

The first winter month—the cold air comes, 孟冬寒氣至 (mèng dōng hán qì zhì)
2 North wind, how bitter and relentless, 北風何慘慄 (bĕi fēng hé căn lì)
Full of sorrow, I know how long the night is, 愁多知夜長 (chóu duō zhī yè cháng)
4 As I look up at the clusters of stars. 仰觀衆星列 (yăng guān zhòng xīng liè)
On the fifteenth, a bright moon waxes; 三五明月滿 (sān wŭ míng yuè măn)
6 On the twentieth, toad and hare wane. 四五詹兔缺 (sì wŭ zhān tù quē)
A traveler came from afar, 客從遠方來 (kè cóng yuăn fāng lái)
8 Handed a letter to me. 遺我一書札 (wèi wŏ yì shū zhā)
First it says, “I am always thinking of you,” 上言長相思 (shàng yán cháng xiāng sī)
10 Last it says, “What a long parting!” 下言久離別 (xià yán jiŭ lí bié)
I keep the letter inside my robe; 書置懷袖中 (shū zhì huái xiù zhōng)
12 After three years, not a single word has faded, 三歲字不滅 (sān suì zì bù miè)
My whole heart is devoted to you, 一心抱區區 (yì xīn bào qū qū)
14 But I fear you may not see that. 懼君不識察 (jù jūn bù shí chá)
[WX 29.1349–1350]

This poem is obviously a “lyricized” version of the last section of “Watering Horses”
(lines 13–20):

A traveler came afar, 客從遠方來  (kè cóng yuăn fāng lái)

He brought me a double carp 遺我雙鯉魚    (wèi wŏ shuāng lĭ yú)

I called to my boy, “Cook the carp.” 呼兒烹鯉魚   (hū ér pēng lĭ yú)

Inside there was a white silk letter. 中有尺素書  (zhōng yŏu chĭ sù shū)

I knelt down and read the white silk letter. 長跪讀素書   (cháng guì dú sù shū)

What in the world is in the letter? 書中竟何如    (shū zhōng jìng hé rú)

First it says, “Try and eat more.” 上有加餐食     (shàng yŏu jiān cān shí)

Last it says, “I’ll always miss you.” 下有長相憶  (xià yŏu cháng xiāng yì)

Both pieces depict a neglected wife’s receiving a letter from her husband. The de-
piction of the event is of the same length (eight lines) and begins with an identical
line. “Watering Horses” devotes six of the eight lines to the description of the event
itself. To enhance story interest, it includes the detail of the surprise discovery of
the letter in the double carp. Not until the last two lines does the speaker reveal
her emotion. If the narrative prevails over the lyrical in “Watering Horses,” the