The classic verses about Luoyang peonies are as follows:
1. Peonies are the only true national beauty, and they move the capital when they bloom. ——"Peony Appreciation" by Liu Yuxi of the Tang Dynasty
Translation: Only peonies are the true beauty of the sky and the country. When they bloom, they attract countless people to appreciate them and startle the entire capital.
2. The peonies break their calyces and the cherries are ripe, but the flying flowers are not allowed to shorten the spring. ——Song Dynasty Fan Chengda's "Four Seasons Pastoral Miscellaneous"
Translation: The peonies have just gained some color and have not bloomed yet. The cherries are ripe. I don't want the flowers to fall, because the flowers have fallen. Spring Just passed.
3. Point out that the peonies are blooming for the first time, and the sun is high as if they were relying on the red railings. ——Weizhuang of the Tang Dynasty, "Huanxisha·Qingxiao Makes Up the Cold Food Sky"
Translation: A woman leaned on the railing to admire flowers during the day, and saw the peonies blooming in the first bloom, and they were extremely beautiful. But then I thought that late spring was approaching and the beautiful scenery would be difficult to retain. I couldn't help but frown slightly and remained silent.
4. From the emphasis on flowers to the fragrance of peonies, they are no longer what they are today. ——Bai Juyi of the Tang Dynasty, "Peony Fragrance"
Translation: Emphasis on the beauty of peonies has a long history, and it did not start today.
5. Money buys peonies, but where can I say goodbye to them? ——Bai Juyi of the Tang Dynasty, "Peony Planting"
Translation: As a precious flower, it is understandable that it is bought, sold, transplanted, cultivated and appreciated.
6. The red peony in front of the steps was melancholy, but only two branches were left in the evening. When the wind rises in the Ming Dynasty, it should be blown away. At night, the redness fades and the fire is watched. ——Two Poems on Cherishing Peonies by Bai Juyi of the Tang Dynasty
Translation: I looked at the red peonies in front of the steps with melancholy. When the evening came, only two remaining flowers were still blooming. I expected that when the strong wind blows tomorrow morning, all the flowers will be blown away. At night, I felt pity for these weak but red flowers, and held a torch to look at the peonies.
7. Green is leisurely and quiet, red is light and deep. The heart of the flower is sad and ready to die, but the beauty of spring does not know the heart. ——"Red Peony" by Wang Wei of the Tang Dynasty
Translation: The green leaves of the red peony are quietly stretching, and the colors of the red peony vary from bright to dark. Facing withering, the peony is heartbroken. May I ask Spring, do you understand what the peony is thinking.
8. We met the human world by chance and met at grandma’s house in Zengcheng. With this alluring color, Tianjiao will come out late and compete with all the flowers. ——Liu Yuxi of the Tang Dynasty, "Appreciating Peonies at Si'an Nanshu"
Translation: How can one encounter such a beautiful flower like peony in the world? The flowers bloom with double petals, and the layers are like the nine layers of Zengcheng of the Queen Mother of the West. With such a beautiful color, God should allow you to bloom later and compete with other flowers.
9. Drink before the flowers today, and be willing to get drunk for a few cups. But the flowers of sorrow have words, and they do not bloom for the elderly. ——Liu Yuxi of the Tang Dynasty, "Tang Langzhongzhai and the Dukes Drinking and Watching Peonies"
Translation: To this day, when I come in front of the blooming peonies, I can no longer put a prohibition on my mood, but I still open up. Be open-minded and drink freely; I sincerely want to drink a few more drinks, even if others say I am too greedy, I am not afraid. I would rather get drunk than have my heart broken.
10. Since Hu Chen entered Hanguan, the road to Yiluo has been long for ten years. Longzhongguo by the Qingdun River, looking at peonies in the independent east wind. ——"Ode to the Peony" by Chen Yuyi of the Song Dynasty
Translation: It has been ten years since the iron hoofs of the Jin people crushed the rivers and mountains of the motherland. Looking back at my hometown of Luoyang, the road has been so long. Time has made me become too old. Today, I am alone, wandering by the Qingdun River, admiring the blooming peonies in the warm spring breeze.