1. The plum blossoms and snow refused to fall in spring, so the poet spent money on commentaries. The plum blossoms are three cents whiter than the snow, but the snow is less fragrant than the plum blossoms.
Source: "Snow Plum No. 1" by Lu Meipo in the Song Dynasty
Translation: Both plum blossoms and snowflakes believe that each has the best of the spring beauty, and neither one is willing to admit defeat. It was difficult for the literati and poet to comment, so he had to put down his pen and think carefully. The plum blossoms make the snowflakes crystal white, but the snowflakes lose some of the fragrance of the plum blossoms.
2. There are several plum trees in the corner, and Ling Han blooms alone. I know it's not snow from afar, because there is a faint fragrance coming.
Source: "Plum Blossoms" by Wang Anshi of the Song Dynasty
Translation: There are a few plum blossoms in the corner, blooming alone in the severe cold. Why do you know from a distance that the white plum blossoms are not snow? That's because there is a faint fragrance of plum blossoms.
3. The pines and bamboos are green and the rosy flowers are cold, and the sun is late and the mountains and rivers are dusk. No one is alone in the quiet path. Who can complain about this hatred? Like the plum blossom language, there are still lovers looking for love. When you smell it with your mind, you don't want to smell it. The fragrance is in the place where you don't care.
Source: "Bu Suanzi Lan" by Cao Zu of the Song Dynasty
Translation: In the spring evening, the pines, bamboos and green radish in the mountains are shrouded in bursts of cold air; on the quiet side of the road, The orchid blooms alone and has no one to appreciate it. To whom can it express its resentment?
It seems that only plum blossoms can speak of these orchids, but in the lonely mountains, there may be people who are looking for the fragrance! When you come specifically to smell the fragrance of orchids, the flowers are not fragrant; only by accident can you smell the fragrance of the flowers.
4. Stay firm on the green hills and keep your roots firmly planted in the broken rocks. It has endured thousands of blows but is still strong, regardless of the winds from east to west, north and south.
Source: "Bamboo and Stone" by Zheng Xie of the Qing Dynasty
Translation: Bamboo grasps the green mountain and does not relax at all, its roots are firmly rooted in the cracks of the rocks. After countless hardships and blows, my body and bones are still strong, no matter whether you blow the southeast wind in the scorching summer or the northwest wind in the harsh winter.
5. The autumn bushes surround the house like Tao's house, and the fence is gradually sloping. It’s not that chrysanthemums are preferred among flowers. There will be no flowers when all the flowers are in bloom
Source: "Chrysanthemum" by Yuan Zhen of the Tang Dynasty
Translation: Clusters of autumn chrysanthemums surround the house, as if they were in Tao Yuanming's Home. Walking around the fence to admire the chrysanthemums, the sun was almost setting before I knew it. It’s not because I prefer chrysanthemums among flowers, it’s just because after the chrysanthemums bloom, there are no more flowers to enjoy.