What is Poetry? Who knows?

诗为何物？有谁知道？

Not a rose, but the scent of the rose;

不是玫瑰却玫瑰般芳菲

Not the sky, but the light in the sky;

不是天空却天空般明媚

Not the fly, but the gleam of the fly;

不是流萤却流萤般光芒

Not the sea, but the sound of the sea;

不是⼤海却⼤海般激荡

Not myself, but what makes me

不是⾃⼰却成就为⾃⼰

See, hear, and feel something that prose

视之听之美⽂所不能之

Cannot: and what it is, who knows?

诗为何物？有谁知道？