Poems everyone should know...

[randall_flagg]

Which poems would most Chinese people be familiar with? Any hints or suggestions? Can't wait to memorize them (not the hints or suggestions, but the poems, mind you!).

[semantic nuance]

Here's one. At least that's, I think, a piece that most Chinese know.

床前明月光

疑是地上霜

舉頭望明月

低頭思故鄉.

Hope it helps!

[randall_flagg]

I've memorized less than half a dozen Chinese poems -- and that's one of them! I just browse through the net and learn whatever sounds nice. And this one sure does!

[confucius]

The ability to recite the following poems will be expected of you once Chinese people find out your Mandarin exceeds the ability to count peanuts and order a beer:

春晓 The famous "falling flowers" poem, always impresses the Chinese gals

登鹳雀楼 Use this one out loud as you reach the top of a pagoda's staircase.

凉州词 This is a MUST for the long train ride to Dunhuang, you'll get free food afterwards

悯农 This is my favorite one to show off at the banquet table. (Wait until after they discover you know how to hold chopsticks.)

The above 4, plus 静夜思 mentioned above, complete the condensed version of 300 Tang Poems that you should know in order to make Chinese people believe you are Li Bai's laowai reincarnation.

[randall_flagg]

Confucius, thank you! Sooooo, when you recite those poems, you read 'em like this http://www.chinese-learner.com/flashsrc/learn-chinese-poem08.mp3 ???

[chenpv]

If you are interested, you could try this book. 《唐诗三百首》.

ts.zip

[randall_flagg]

thanks, chenpv! downloaded it and it's working -- except for that none of the characters are comming out OK. I can't even navigate through the programme. But I found the same thing online, I think.

[skylee]

Learn to sing 明月幾時有 of Teresa Teng / Faye Wong and you have 水調歌頭 written by 穌軾.

You can find some Chinese poems on this thread -> http://www.chinese-forums.com/index.php?/topic/176-chinese-poetry

[randall_flagg]

Just wanted to share this magnificent link that I found.

Klick on the name of the poem and then listen to the MP3 version or watch a flash movie. Don’t trust the pinyin on the initial page, though, it often seems flawed. The pinyin the flash movie gives you seems to be very accurate. Also, the flash offers a mini-lesson covering new words, the contents of the poem and sometimes tells on what occasion reciting this poems seems most appropriate. This page is awesome, all that it is lacking is an English translation of those poems. I’m still looking for that.

http://www.chinese-learner.com/chinese-literature-poems/learn-chinese-literature-poems.php

[randall_flagg]

Skylee, are you saying that 王菲 sings 明月几时有 using Cantonese pronunciation? I never knew! You have NO idea how often I have listened to that song. It's kind of tacky, I know, I know, but I LOVE this song. Don't know if I would say that about ANY other song out there. If someone told me that I could ony listen to one song until death will free me from this red dust, I would ask for this song -- and smile when I ask for it.

[skylee]

Skylee, are you saying that 王菲 sings 明月几时有 using Cantonese pronunciation? I never knew!

No. She sings the song in Mandarin.

[randall_flagg]

Goooood!