American diplomat in Hong Kong reciting a Tang poem in Cantonese
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王維 (699-761
鳥鳴澗
人閒桂花落
夜靜春山空
月出驚山鳥
時鳴春澗中
wong4 wai4
niu5 ming4 gaan3
yan4 haan4 gwai3 fa1 lok6
ye6 jing6 cheun1 saan1 hung1
yut6 cheut1 geng1 saan1 niu5
si4 ming4 cheun1 gaan3 jung1
Wang Wei
The Warble Ravine
At peace, the osmanthus is shedding,
the vernal hills at night are void around.
At times the birds are startled by the moon,
that chirp at times by verdant rivers.
(The English translation is adopted from the video)
Excellent pronunciation and recitation.
Selected readings
- "Stream of consciousness blather" (4/4/12
- "The (alleged) untranslatability of Chinese poetry" (9/26/20)
- "'Arrival is a tree that is still to come'" (10/10/16)
- "Meryl Streep reciting a 'Mandarin poem'" (12/9/20)
[Thanks to rit malors]
John Swindle said,
March 21, 2025 @ 11:25 pm
I notice that he tips his head up and down to get the tones.
Victor Mair said,
March 22, 2025 @ 6:35 am
I know lots of people who wag their finger when speaking Chinese languages to indicate the tones.