original text
The Willow
Tang He Zhang Zhi
Jasper dressed up as a tree,
Ten thousand green silk tapestries hang down.
I don't know who cut off the thin leaves,
The spring breeze in February is like scissors.
Poetry annotation
Jasper: Bright green jade. Here is a metaphor for the bright green willow leaves in spring.
Make-up: Decorate.
A tree: full of trees. One: full, full. In China's classical poems and articles, the use of quantifiers does not necessarily indicate the exact number. The "ten thousand" in the next sentence is of great significance.
Tāo: a rope made of silk. This refers to a wicker ribbon.
Cut: cut.
Like: like, like.
Poetry translation
Tall willows are covered with new green leaves, and soft willow branches hang down like ten thousand green ribbons fluttering gently.
Whose skillful hand cut off this thin young leaf? It turned out to be the warm spring breeze in February. It's like a pair of clever scissors.
Appreciate:
This is an object-chanting poem about willow trees in early spring and February. The beauty of willow image lies in Naman's long branches. Once a year, it grows new green leaves and hangs down, which has a charming posture in the spring breeze. This is something that everyone can appreciate.
In classical poetry, readers often see this kind of imagery beauty to describe and compare a beautiful woman's slim figure and graceful waist. This poem is original. Turn it over. "Jasper pretends to be a tall tree". At first, Liu Yang appeared as a beautiful woman: "Thousands of threads of moss tapestry hang down", and these countless threads became her nepotism. The word "Gao" in the previous sentence sets off the graceful charm of beautiful Tingting; The word "hanging" in the next sentence means that the slender waist is swaying in the wind.
There are no words "willow" and "waist branch" in the poem, but the beauty embodied by weeping willows and willows in early spring is vividly written. "Southern History" said that Liu Yong was the secretariat of Yizhou and presented several Shu Liu plants. "These stripes are very long and look like silk threads." Emperor Wu of Qi planted these willows in the Taichang cloud and in front of the temple, saying that they were "romantic and lovely". Here, wicker is called "green silk tapestry", which may be the hidden use of this famous allusion about willow. But it's a waste, and you can't see any traces.
"Jasper makeup" leads to "moss tapestry" and "who cut it". Finally, the intangible "spring breeze" is also vividly portrayed by "scissors". These "scissors" cut out bright green flowers and plants and put on a new makeup for the earth. It is the symbol of natural vitality and the inspiration of spring to people's beauty. From Jasper Makeup to Scissors, readers can see a series of processes of the poet's artistic conception. A series of images in poetry are closely linked.