Reading (宋體 / Ming)
Song / Ming
兩個黃鸝鳴翠柳
两个黄鹂鸣翠柳
一行白鷺上青天
一行白鹭上青天
窗含西嶺千秋雪
窗含西岭千秋雪
門泊東吳萬里船
门泊东吴万里船
絕句
One of Du Fu’s best-known short poems, vivid with birds, willows, snow, and boats.
兩個黃鸝鳴翠柳
两个黄鹂鸣翠柳
一行白鷺上青天
一行白鹭上青天
窗含西嶺千秋雪
窗含西岭千秋雪
門泊東吳萬里船
门泊东吴万里船
Kai Script (楷書)
Kai
兩個黃鸝鳴翠柳
两个黄鹂鸣翠柳
一行白鷺上青天
一行白鹭上青天
窗含西嶺千秋雪
窗含西岭千秋雪
門泊東吳萬里船
门泊东吴万里船
Running / Brush (行書) · Simplified
Handwriting
兩個黃鸝鳴翠柳
两个黄鹂鸣翠柳
一行白鷺上青天
一行白鹭上青天
窗含西嶺千秋雪
窗含西岭千秋雪
門泊東吳萬里船
门泊东吴万里船
Grass Script (草書) · Simplified
Grass
兩個黃鸝鳴翠柳
两个黄鹂鸣翠柳
一行白鷺上青天
一行白鹭上青天
窗含西嶺千秋雪
窗含西岭千秋雪
門泊東吳萬里船
门泊东吴万里船
Decorative Title Style · Simplified
Title / Decorative
兩個黃鸝鳴翠柳
两个黄鹂鸣翠柳
一行白鷺上青天
一行白鹭上青天
窗含西嶺千秋雪
窗含西岭千秋雪
門泊東吳萬里船
门泊东吴万里船
Key Phrases Worth Memorizing
- 黃鸝鳴柳 A classic spring image of birds singing in willow branches.
- 白鷺青天 A sharp color contrast often used in Chinese poetic description.
- 千秋雪 A compressed phrase suggesting long-lasting snow over many ages.
- 萬里船 A strong image of travel, trade, and long-distance connection.
- 窗含 A literary way of saying that the view through the window seems to hold an entire landscape.
Ten Modern Sentences Using the Poem’s Vocabulary
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 清晨時，樹上的黃鸝叫得很熱鬧。 | qīng chén shí, shù shàng de huáng lí jiào de hěn rè nào. | In the early morning, the orioles in the tree were singing lively songs. |
| 春天的翠柳總讓人想到江南。 | chūn tiān de cuì liǔ zǒng ràng rén xiǎng dào jiāng nán. | Bright green willows in spring always make people think of Jiangnan. |
| 一行白鳥飛上青天，非常好看。 | yì háng bái niǎo fēi shàng qīng tiān, fēi cháng hǎo kàn. | A line of white birds flying into the blue sky looked beautiful. |
| 從窗裡望出去，可以看到遠山上的雪。 | cóng chuāng lǐ wàng chū qù, kě yǐ kàn dào yuǎn shān shàng de xuě. | Looking out the window, you can see snow on the distant mountains. |
| 這座山冬天常常有積雪，很像千秋雪的景象。 | zhè zuò shān dōng tiān cháng cháng yǒu jī xuě, hěn xiàng qiān qiū xuě de jǐng xiàng. | This mountain often has snow in winter, just like the poem’s ancient snowy scene. |
| 河邊停著一條大船，準備明天出發。 | hé biān tíng zhe yì tiáo dà chuán, zhǔn bèi míng tiān chū fā. | A large boat was moored by the river, ready to depart tomorrow. |
| 站在門前時，我能看到遠處的碼頭。 | zhàn zài mén qián shí, wǒ néng kàn dào yuǎn chù de mǎ tóu. | When I stand in front of the door, I can see the distant dock. |
| 今天的天空很青，很適合出去散步。 | jīn tiān de tiān kōng hěn qīng, hěn shì hé chū qù sàn bù. | The sky is very clear and blue today, perfect for a walk. |
| 旅行的人常常對遠方的船有特別的感情。 | lǚ xíng de rén cháng cháng duì yuǎn fāng de chuán yǒu tè bié de gǎn qíng. | People who travel often have a special feeling for boats heading into the distance. |
| 這首詩把近景和遠景放在一起，非常有畫面感。 | zhè shǒu shī bǎ jìn jǐng hé yuǎn jǐng fàng zài yì qǐ, fēi cháng yǒu huà miàn gǎn. | This poem places near and far scenery together, creating a very visual effect. |
Pronunciation, Recitation, and Memorization Guide
Slow Recitation with Natural Pauses
Rhythmic structure: This is a seven-character quatrain with strong visual balance. Read each line in three beats and let each image land cleanly.
Recommended pacing: Keep the recitation bright and steady, with a slightly broader pause before the final two landscape lines.
兩個 / 黃鸝 / 鳴翠柳
一行 / 白鷺 / 上青天
窗含 / 西嶺 / 千秋雪
門泊 / 東吳 / 萬里船
Pronunciation Tips
| Character or phrase | Pinyin | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| 鸝 | lí | Keep the l- light and sustain the second tone clearly. |
| 鷺 | lù | Use a firm fourth tone and do not reduce it to a short neutral sound. |
| 嶺 | lǐng | Make the third tone full and keep the nasal ending crisp. |
| 泊 | bó | Here it is pronounced bó, meaning ‘to berth or anchor,’ not pō. |
Simple Memory Strategy
Hold the poem as four framed images: birds in willows, white egrets in the sky, snowy mountains through the window, and a distant boat moored by the door.
1. Birdsong in the willow
兩個黃鸝鳴翠柳
See two bright birds calling from fresh green willow branches.
2. White birds in blue sky
一行白鷺上青天
Picture a clean line of white egrets rising into a deep blue sky.
3. Snow through the window
窗含西嶺千秋雪
Imagine the window frame holding a distant snowy mountain range.
4. Boat at the door
門泊東吳萬里船
Finish with a moored boat suggesting travel and connection to distant places.
Line-by-Line Pronunciation Drill
兩個黃鸝鳴翠柳 两个黄鹂鸣翠柳
Slow syllable drill: liǎng - gè - huáng - lí - míng - cuì - liǔ
Teacher: 兩個黃鸝鳴翠柳两个黄鹂鸣翠柳
Students repeat: 兩個黃鸝鳴翠柳两个黄鹂鸣翠柳
一行白鷺上青天 一行白鹭上青天
Slow syllable drill: yì - háng - bái - lù - shàng - qīng - tiān
Teacher: 一行白鷺上青天一行白鹭上青天
Students repeat: 一行白鷺上青天一行白鹭上青天
窗含西嶺千秋雪 窗含西岭千秋雪
Slow syllable drill: chuāng - hán - xī - lǐng - qiān - qiū - xuě
Teacher: 窗含西嶺千秋雪窗含西岭千秋雪
Students repeat: 窗含西嶺千秋雪窗含西岭千秋雪
門泊東吳萬里船 门泊东吴万里船
Slow syllable drill: mén - bó - dōng - wú - wàn - lǐ - chuán
Teacher: 門泊東吳萬里船门泊东吴万里船
Students repeat: 門泊東吳萬里船门泊东吴万里船