lnhammer: the Chinese character for poetry, red on white background (Default)
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    The grasses green, so green,
    Covered with heavy frost—
    The magpie who was nesting
Keeps looking all around distraught.

咸通七年童谣
草青青,
被严霜。
鹊始巢,
复看颠狂。

One last random selection from Complete Tang Poems chapter 878. No idea of the historical context here—an editorial note would be nice. Potential double-meaning: green-green can describe someone as fresh-faced and/or very young, and a heavy frost can refer to stern parental authority. No idea what the magpie might represent, though.

---L.
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Warning: contents contain line-breaks.

As language practice, I like to translate poetry. My current project is Chinese, with practice focused on Tang Dynasty poetry. Previously this was classical Japanese, most recently working through the Kokinshu anthology (archived here). Suggestions, corrections, and questions always welcome.

There's also original pomes in the journal archives.

April 2025

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