7 BEAUTIFUL CHINESE POEMS ABOUT SPRING
Spring is here and it’s all time to cheer. The flowers are blooming and rising temperatures are looming. Ok, it’s too difficult to continue with these rhyming words but you get the gist haha, spring has indeed arrived and to celebrate how miraculous and beautiful this season is we’re going to look at 7 amazing Chinese poems by 7 legendary poets from the Golden age of Chinese poetry – the Tang Dynasty – that all perfectly capture this glorious time of the year. Revel in these beautiful Chinese words and Chinese characters and improve your Chinese language skills along the way.
Chūn xiǎo (春晓)
Spring Morning
by Meng Haoran (689-740) of Tang Dynasty
Chūn mián bù jué xiǎo
春 眠 不 觉 晓,
This spring morning in bed I'm still lying,
chù chù wén tí niǎo
处 处 闻 啼 鸟。
not to awake till the birds are crying.
Yè lái fēng yǔ shēng
夜 来 风 雨 声,
After one night of wind and showers,
huā luò zhī duō shǎo
花 落 知 多 少。
how many are the fallen flowers?
. . .
Chūn yè xǐ yǔ (春夜喜雨)
Happy Rain on a Spring Night
by Du Fu (712-770) of Tang Dynasty
Hǎo yǔ zhī shí jié
好雨知时节
The good rain knows its season,
dāng chūn nǎi fā shēng
当春乃发生
when spring arrives, it brings life.
Suí fēng qián rù yè
随风潜入夜
It follows the wind secretly into the night,
rùn wù xì wú shēng
润物细无声
and moistens all things softly, without sound.
Yě jìng yún jū hēi
野径云俱黑
On the country road, the clouds are all black,
jiāng chuán huǒ dú míng
江船火独明
on a riverboat, a single fire bright.
Xiǎo kàn hóng shī chù
晓看红湿处
At dawn one sees this place now red and wet,
huā zhòng jǐn guān chéng
花重锦官城
the flowers are heavy in the brocade city.
*the brocade city is Chengdu, in south-west China.
. . .
Chūn yè luò chéng wén dí (春夜洛城闻笛)
Hearing a Flute on a Spring Night in Luoyang
By Li Bai (701 – 762 ) of Tang Dynasty
Shéi jiā yù dí àn fēi shēng？
谁家玉笛暗飞 声？
From whose home secretly flies the sound of a jade flute?
sàn rù chūnfēng mǎn luò chéng
散入春风满洛城
It's lost amid the spring wind which fills Luoyang city.
cǐ yè qū zhōng wén zhé liǔ
此夜曲中闻折柳
In the middle of this nocturne I remember the snapped willow,
hérén bù qǐ gùyuán qíng
何人不起故园情
What person would not start to think of home!
. . .
Tí dūchéng Nán Zhuāng (题都城南庄)
Written in a Village South of the Capital
by Cui Hu (772 - 846) of Tang Dynasty
Qùnián jīnrì cǐ mén zhōng,
去年今日此门中，
This day last year I saw in this courtyard
rénmiàn táohuā xiāng yìng hóng.
人面桃花相映红。
a rosy face by the side of pink peach bloom.
Rénmiàn bù zhī hé chù qù,
人面不知何处去，
Today in the breeze again smiles the peach bloom,
táohuā yījiù xiào chūnfēng.
桃花依旧笑春风。
yet where is gone that rosy face? I see it no more.
*dūchéng (都城) in the title refers to the capital city of Chang’an in those times
. . .
Qīngmíng (清明)
Qingming / Pure Brightness
Du Mu (803 – 852) of Tang Dynasty
Qīngmíng shíjié yǔ fēnfēn，
清明时节雨纷纷,
At the time of the Pure Brightness festival, the rain is swirling round,
lùshàng xíngrén yù duànhún
路上行人欲断魂。
on the road, the spirit of the traveler is almost broken.
jièwèn jiǔjiā héchù yǒu
借问酒家何处有？
He politely asks at what place an inn can be found?
mùtòng yáozhǐ xìnghuā cūn.
牧童遥指杏花村。
A shepherd boy points far away to apricot blossom village.
. . .
Xiāng sī (相思)
Love Seeds
- by Wang Wei (701-761) of Tang Dynasty
Hóng dòu shēng nán guó，
红豆生南国，
The red beans grow in southern land.
chūn lái fā jǐ zhī。
春来发几枝。
In spring they overload the trees.
Yuàn jūn duō cǎi xié，
愿君多采撷，
Gather them till full is your hand.
cǐ wù zuì xiāng sī。
此物最相思。
They would revive fond memories.
. . .
Yì jiāng nán (忆江南)
Dreaming of the Southern Shore
by Bai Juyi (772-846) of Tang Dynasty
Jiāngnán hǎo,
江南好，
Fair Southern shore,
Fēngjǐng jiù céng ān.
风景旧曾谙。
With scenes I adore.
Rì chū jiāng huāhóng shèng huǒ,
日出江花红胜火,
At sunrise riverside flowers redder than fire,
chūnlái jiāngshuǐ lǜ rú lán.
春来江水绿如蓝。
in spring green waves grow as blue as sapphire,
Néng bù yì jiāngnán?
能不忆江南?
Which I can’t but admire.
Did you enjoy learning these Chinese poems?
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Sources used:
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201803/09/WS5aa1e18ca3106e7dcc14091c.html
