From "Long Song Xing" in "Anthology of Yuefu Poems"
Original text: Sunflowers in the green garden, the morning dew awaits the setting sun. In the spring of Budeze, all things will be radiant. I am often afraid that when the autumn festival comes, the yellow flowers and leaves will wither. From the east to the sea, when will the rivers return to the west? Young idler, an old beggar!
Translation: The sunflowers in the garden are all lush and green, rising under the crystal dew in the sunshine. Spring spreads hope all over the earth, and everything appears prosperous. I am often afraid that the chilling autumn will come, and the leaves will turn yellow and the grass will wither. Hundreds of rivers are rushing eastward to the sea. When can they return to the west again? If a young person does not work hard in time, he will only regret his life when he grows old.
"Long Song Xing" is a five-character ancient poem in the "Yuefu Poetry Collection" compiled by the Northern Song Dynasty scholar Guo Maoqian (1041-1099). It is a famous poem that exhorts the world to cherish time and forge ahead. This is a song that sings about life. Singing about people naturally starts from the sunflower in the garden. This is called "supporting things to rise" in writing, that is, "preface other things to trigger the words to be chanted." The sunflower in the garden stands gracefully in the spring morning, with dewdrops rolling on its green leaves, shining brightly in the morning sun, like a young man full of youthful vitality. The poet extended it from the vigorous growth of sunflower in the garden and wrote about the entire nature. Due to the sunshine, rain and dew in spring, everything is shining with the light of life, and there are vibrant and prosperous scenes everywhere.