Original poem:
The lotus flower withered, so did the lotus leaf holding the rain, and only the branches of chrysanthemum stood proudly against the frost.
Good years must be remembered, it is orange.
Translation:
The lotus flower withered, even the lotus leaf holding the rain withered, and only the flower branch that defeated the chrysanthemum stood proudly in the frost. You must remember that the best scenery in a year is in the late autumn and early winter when oranges are golden and green.
Extended data:
The phrase "the lotus has been covered with rain" depicts a last autumn; In the past, the green leaves met the sky, and the red flowers reflected the sun. Now it is a fallen leaf, and the withered stems and leaves can no longer hold up its green umbrella to keep out the wind and rain. The second sentence, "There are branches of Ao Shuang in my dream", means that although the branches of chrysanthemum don't have all leaves, the tall and straight branches still stand upright in the wind in Ao Shuang.
Lotus and chrysanthemum are masterpieces in summer and autumn respectively, but the lotus in Su Shi's works has been a failure. The chrysanthemums in Su Shi's works are already withered, in order to set off the cold heart of oranges. Write lotus and chrysanthemum as the object, write "orange, orange" as the main, and adopt the writing method of taking things as the main.
It is particularly worth mentioning that this poem not only describes the scenery in early winter, but also uses the scenery to express feelings, describing people with the words "the leaves of the orange tree are green all winter" and "but it is used to the cold because of its' nature'" and praising Liu Jingwen's character and moral integrity. It combines scenery, chanting things and praising people, which is intriguing.
Besides, Su Shi also wrote about the early winter, a season that has been suppressed and neglected in the eyes of scholars and poets. It can also be seen that his open-minded personality and open mind are still full of pride and optimism despite the ups and downs of his life.