Jueju: China’s Smallest Poems for the Largest Truths
A Weekend Gift for Our Readers
In the vast treasury of world literature, Chinese poetry occupies a unique spiritual altitude. Among its most elegant forms is Jueju (绝句)—a classical poetic structure from the Tang Dynasty, often described as China’s shortest complete poem, yet one of its most demanding.
A Jueju traditionally consists of four tightly controlled lines, usually five or seven characters each in classical Chinese. Its genius lies in compression: one moment, one image, one realization—captured with surgical precision. Where Western poetry often explains, Jueju suggests. Where modern writing shouts, Jueju whispers.
In English, we adapt Jueju not by copying syllables, but by honoring its spirit:
- Four lines
- Minimalism
- A turn or revelation
- Emotional or philosophical resonance
For this weekend, we offer 25 original English Jueju-style poems, inspired by modern life—technology, loneliness, ambition, faith, love, fatigue, hope, and silence.
This is our weekend gift to our readers: short poems for long reflections.
25 Modern Jueju Poems
1. Screen Light
The room is dark,
My face is brightened by news.
World burns elsewhere—
Thumb scrolls in silence.
2. Morning Commute
Faces pressed together,
No one touching a soul.
We travel miles daily
To arrive nowhere.
3. Digital Prayer
I asked the sky for peace,
It offered faster Wi-Fi.
Even God, it seems,
Has learned to buffer.
4. Inbox
A thousand unread messages,
None asking how I am.
The loudest room on earth
Is a quiet email.
5. Coffee
Bitter warmth in hand,
Promises a functioning mind.
Hope, like caffeine,
Wears off by noon.
6. Childhood
We ran without reason,
Fell without fear.
Growing up meant
Learning to fall quietly.
7. City Night
Neon lights scream,
Stars retreat politely.
The universe waits
For us to look up again.
8. Faith
I searched scriptures for God,
Found Him in patience instead.
Belief, it turns out,
Is practiced—not proven.
9. Old Photograph
Smiles fixed in paper time,
Everyone still alive.
The past ages well—
Only memory bleeds.
10. Success
Climbed the mountain alone,
Found no one waiting there.
Achievement echoes louder
When applause is missing.
11. Marriage
Two people sharing silence,
Arguing over air.
Love survives not passion—
But repeated forgiveness.
12. Algorithm
It knows what I want
Before I know myself.
Convenience, I fear,
Is the softest cage.
13. Mother
Her hands remember
Every fever I forgot.
Love is a skill
Never listed on résumés.
14. War
Maps change color,
Graves remain the same.
History is written
By those who survived.
15. Aging
Hair turns silver,
Opinions grow heavier.
Time teaches gently—
Then charges interest.
16. Loneliness
Surrounded by voices,
Starving for one.
Crowds are excellent
At hiding emptiness.
17. Prayer Mat
Forehead meets the earth,
Ego finally kneels.
The shortest distance
Is humility.
18. Late Night
The world sleeps peacefully,
My mind refuses ceasefire.
Insomnia is thought
Without discipline.
19. Bookshelf
Unread spines stare back,
Judging softly.
Knowledge waits patiently
For courage to begin.
20. Failure
I fell publicly,
Learned privately.
Failure is the only teacher
Who never lies.
21. News Cycle
Today’s outrage,
Tomorrow’s forgotten truth.
We consume disasters
Like entertainment.
22. Father
He taught by example,
Never by explanation.
Strength, I learned,
Is quiet responsibility.
23. Time
I tried to save time,
Lost myself instead.
Moments are meant
To be spent, not stored.
24. Hope
Even after everything,
Morning still arrives.
The universe insists
On second chances.
25. Weekend
The clock loosens grip,
Thoughts breathe again.
Rest is rebellion
In a tired world.
A Closing Note
In an age of excess words, Jueju reminds us that meaning does not require volume. Four lines can hold a lifetime. A moment can carry eternity.
May these poems accompany your weekend—quietly, honestly, and without demand.
By Faraz Parvez
Professor Dr. (Retired) Arshad Afzal
Former Faculty Member, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, KSA
(Pseudonym: Faraz Parvez)
Website: themindscope.net
Category: Fiction & Literature
