Su Dongpo: Qin Poems

 

[updated September 2022]

 

Qin Poems

 

琴 诗
若 言 琴 上 有 琴 声
放 在 匣 中 何 不 鸣?                                                                                          若 言 声 在 指 头 上
何 不 于 君 指 上 听?
Qin Shi

Ruo yan qin shang you qin sheng
Fang zai xia zhong he bu ming?                                                                                         Ruo yan sheng zai zhi tou shang
He bu yu jun zhi shang ting?

 

Qin Poems

If one says that a qin just sits on the table, there are no sounds of music
Sitting in a small box, why can it not express its music?                                         If one says that these musical sounds come from fingertips
Why can’t you listen to just your fingers?

 

Notes:

Qin: Ancient Chinese musical instrument of four strings.