Drinking on the lake, it is sunny and then it rains
Su Shi of the Song Dynasty
The clear water is beautiful when the water is shining,
The mountains are empty and covered with rain Also strange.
If you want to compare the West Lake to the West,
It is always better to wear heavy makeup and light makeup.
[Note]
Drinking on the Lake at the beginning of the day and then the rain: It means that the poet and his friends were drinking and visiting the West Lake when the weather changed from sunny to rainy.
潋滟: The appearance of flashing waves.
Fang Hao: Just right. Fang, just, adverb.
Empty: Describes the clouds and mist, which seem to be there but not at all.
Also: also.
Strange: wonderful.
Desire: want.
West Lake: This refers to the West Lake in Hangzhou, also called Xizi Lake, because it is to the west of Hangzhou; the name Xizi Lake comes from this little poem.
Xizi: Xishi, a famous beauty from the Yue Kingdom in the Spring and Autumn Period. Her surname was Shi. She lived in the west of Huanshaxi Village (in present-day Zhuji County, Zhejiang Province), so she was called Xishi.
Light makeup and heavy makeup: Either dress up in a light and elegant way, or dress up in a rich and colorful way.
[Poem Translation, Poetry]
The scenery is charming when the water is shining on a clear day,
The mountains also look magical in the misty rain.
If West Lake is compared to the beauty Xi Tzu,
She is always beautiful no matter whether she wears light makeup or heavy makeup.
The scenery is so beautiful on a sunny day when the water is rippling, but the scenery is even more unique on a rainy day when the water is rippling. If West Lake is compared to Xi Tzu, no matter she is dressed in elegant or colorful clothes, she will be equally radiant.