Broken Array·Chunjing [Song Dynasty] Yan Shu
When the swallows came to Xinshe, the pear blossoms lagged behind the Qingming Festival. There are three or four spots of green moss on the pond, and one or two orioles are heard under the leaves. The day is long and the catkins are light. The female companion next door to the east smiled cleverly, and greeted her on the mulberry picking path. I wonder if I had a good spring dream last night, but I will win the grass fight today. Smile comes from both faces. Three Hundred Poems of the Song Dynasty, Spring, Written by People Translation and Annotations
Translation The swallows fly just in time for the community sacrifice, and the pear blossoms fall and usher in the Qingming Festival. A few pieces of green moss dotted the clear water in the pool, orioles under the tree branches occasionally sang twice, and catkins could be seen flying everywhere. On the way to pick mulberries, I met a girl from my east neighbor who smiled cleverly. Just when she was wondering if she had a sweet spring night dream last night, it turned out that the grass fighting was victorious today! A smile couldn't help but appear on his cheeks.
Comments: Po Zhenzi: The name of Ci Pai, originally the name of Tang Jiaofang's song. Also known as "Ten Beats". Sixty-two characters in double tone, flat rhyme. Xinshe: She day is an ancient day for worshiping the earth god to pray for a good harvest. There are two shes in spring and autumn. Xinshe is Spring Society, which is after the beginning of spring and before Qingming. Green moss: green moss. Fei catkins: floating catkins. Qiaoxiao: Describes a girl’s beautiful smile. Feng Ying: meet, meet. Suspicious: Surprised, strange. Here is the meaning of "no wonder". Doucao: A game played by ancient women, also called "Baicao Dou". Double face: refers to the cheeks. Appreciation 2
This poem uses a light brushwork to describe a small fragment of the spring life of ancient girls, but what is displayed in front of the reader is an interesting picture.
The first part of the poem describes the scenery. "When swallows come to Xinshe, pear blossoms lag behind Qingming." These two sentences not only highlight the seasons, but also describe the relationship between seasons and scenery, giving people a specific impression. The writing is brisk and fluent, containing joyful affection, which lays the foundation for the clear, harmonious and beautiful tone of the whole poem. "There are three or four spots of green moss on the pond, one or two oriole calls at the bottom of the leaves, and the flying catkins are light as the sun grows longer." The spring water pond is dotted with three or four spots of moss, and from deep in the dense forest, the singing of orioles can be heard from time to time. "Length of the day" indicates that the seasons have begun to change, which is somewhat of a cherished spring. Catkins are flying in the air, showing a sunny scene.
Creative background