Original poem:
The willow branches are graceful, the pomegranate membrane is light and bright, and the pomegranate seeds are fresh and tender. Can envy the peach trees in Yaochi, with a thousand years of red cheeks. -Pomegranate by Li Shangyin (Tang Dynasty)
Poetry translation:
Green pomegranate trees are graceful in the wind, and bright red pomegranate is covered with lanterns. There is a transparent film inside, and the pomegranate seeds like white jade are delicious and neat. There is nothing to envy about peach trees in Yaochi, which is better than pomegranate trees taking root among the people. Although beautiful peaches will bear fruit for thousands of years, pomegranate can bring laughter to farm yards every year.
Poetry notes:
Pomegranate: a deciduous tree or shrub, introduced into the Central Plains from the Western Regions. Pomegranate slices sentence: Pomegranate blooms in summer, respects the skin, perseveres, and bears fruit. Berries are nearly spherical and mature in autumn, and the interior is divided into several chambers by thin film carpels. The exocarp is translucent and juicy, so it is called "fresh durian".
Yao Chi sentence: The Legend of Hanwu records that the Queen Mother of the West ordered the maid to collect peaches. Soon, a jade plate contained seven peaches, and five of them were given to Emperor Wu to plant. The Queen Mother of the West said, "This peach bears fruit once every three years, and it is barren in midsummer." This is what Yaochi Peach refers to. Envy: what to envy, envy.
Appreciation and artistic characteristics of poetry;
Poetry appreciation:
Pomegranate is a symbol of beauty and pure love. The poet praised the graceful pomegranate branches, rich pomegranate fruits, light pomegranate slices and bright pomegranate seeds, which showed his love. However, although pomegranate is more beautiful and delicate than peach, it will not last for a thousand years. Pomegranate is both an elegy of life and an elegy of love.
The word "pomegranate" is folded four times, and branches, fruits, membranes and seeds are written separately, highlighting the beauty of pomegranate. When reading, the spring breeze blows the face, not only the words are repeated, but also the words in the couplet. "Peach Blossom" came out hand in hand, deeply lamenting that the beauty in the world is fleeting. Only the sincere and beautiful feelings hidden in the bottom of my heart can truly be "peach blossom with red cheeks for thousands of years".
Artistic features of poetry;
In terms of artistic features, this poem uses the techniques of compound words and repeated words to make the rhythm cycle and the word pulse beautiful. Li Shangyin wrote many such poems. There are synchronous reciprocating, such as "each tastes youth with its flower-like interval" and "this flower is in harmony with the length of this leaf". There are also the same sentences that go back and forth in two steps, such as "the south wind leaves dangerous leaves overnight" and "half leaves and half welcomes". The overlapping of different steps in the same sentence can form a couplet.