[Just mindless rambling 6]

 Tang Poems seems so easy. 白日依山盡，黃河入海流。 So easy and so layman, how unrefined...... Actually, Tang Poems is the one of the most challenging form of writing due to the rules and restrictions it set. And one of its most tedious rules that it set, is the rule of nian(粘,stick) and dui(对,in contrast) 。

First, let me explain what is ping ze (平仄), a core concept in Tang Poems. ...Most us know that Chinese language has four tones right? First(一), second (/), third (V) and fourth (downwards slope). Basically, the first two tone are considered ping and the last two is considered as ze. Ok, lets go deeper a little. If you know a little bit about linguistics, you will know that language changes with time and our tongue is definitely different from our mother's tongue (Pun intended). This is the case for all languages. For Chinese, the four tone during Tang is 平上去入(Ping Shang Qu Ru). 上（shang）is the third tone today, 去(qu) is the fourth tone. (入) is lost in history but retains by our dialects, and we can still see and hear it in Singapore. Simply put, they are pronunciation ending with P,T,K like 白(Pek) and Singaporean's favourite 发(Huat) la. 平 divided itself to the first and second today.

Got the basic? Lets begin to have our main course. Poem in the past can be sang like pop songs of today. And to be sang, it must follows a sense of rhythm and melody(dee). Since Chinese is a rather melodious language due to the tone(Some westerns do reflected that they are rather mesmerise by Chinese as you sound like singing when talking), the Tangs wants to be sure that the combination of tone...... is nice to listen to. Thus they come out with strict regulation, but allow some changes under of principle of nian(粘,stick) and dui(对,in contrast) 。

对： When you compare Odd sentence with its upcoming Even sentence, the tones of the even numbered words are be in contrast with each other. I know this sounds complicated. Let me us poems as example, with 一 denoting Ping and l denoting Ze.

1st sentence: 白日依山尽
The tone be:   l   l 一 一 l
2nd Sentence: 黄河入海流
The Tone be:  一 一 l   l 一
This is a complete dui, for every word, the tone 平 & 仄is perfectly in contrast. This is suppose to be the case. The even words are to be concerned when you have to make a compromise. Now let look at nian.

粘：When you compare Even sentence with its upcoming odd sentence, the tones of the even words are be the same with each other. Let use the same poem.

2nd Sentence: 黄河入海流
The Tone be:  一 一 l   l 一
3rd Sentence: 欲穷千里目
The tone be:    l 一 一 l   l
Even no. words: 河（一）vs. 穷 （一）, 海（l）Vs. 里（l）

See, its the same.

See anyone doing dancing despite heavily tied and chained up with ropes, shackle and what so ever? Tang Poems(律诗, lv shi to be exact) is this particular kind of words dancing. And the irony is that, it seems so easy and simple. If you still remember any lines from Tangs poems, please appreciate them. It is so simple, yet so difficult.