It means that when the flowers are blooming and it’s time to fold them, you should hurry up and do it. Don’t wait until the flowers fade and only break an empty branch.
The original poem is as follows
Miscellaneous poems
Tang Dynasty: Anonymous
I advise you not to cherish your gold-threaded clothes, I urge you to cherish your youth hour.
If there are flowers, you must break them off. Don’t wait until there are no flowers.
Translation
I advise you not to cherish your luxurious gold-threaded clothes. I advise you to cherish your youth. When the flowers are blooming and it’s time to break them, you should hurry up and break them. Don’t wait until the flowers fade and only break an empty branch. Extended information
Creative background
This poem is inscribed on the pillars of Wanghai Tower in Hangzhou. The author's name is unknown, but we can experience a complex emotion from it. This is not ordinary homesickness, but a sense of loneliness caused by the author's long-term travel abroad. Its author is controversial, "The Complete Poems of the Tang Dynasty" is attributed to Anonymous, and "Three Hundred Tang Poems" is attributed to Du Qiuniang.
The meaning of this poem is relatively simple. It repeatedly chants and emphasizes cherishing time, and don’t miss your youth. Literally speaking, it is a bold singing of youth and love, a candid expression of passion. However, behind the words, there is still the main theme of "cherishing time". Therefore, if you look at it as the purpose of "having fun in time", it seems low, but if you look at it as "cherishing time", it will be colorful and thought-provoking.
This poem is also called "Golden Thread Song", "Golden Thread Ci", and "Miscellaneous Poems". This is a very famous persuasive poem. Literally, it is a bold celebration of youth and love, a passionate and candid expression. However, behind the words, it is admonishing people not to be greedy for wealth and glory, but to cherish the good times of youth. Tell people that youth is hard to come back, and they should cherish their time and seize opportunities to make progress actively. ?
This poem warns people not to be greedy for glory and wealth, but to cherish their youth. Youth comes only once to anyone, once it is gone it will never come back. If you waste your time, you will achieve nothing. It can be said that "if a young man does not work hard, he will be sad". Later generations often quoted it to mean cherishing youth or pursuing love in time.
This is a popular poem in the mid-Tang Dynasty. It uses a dialogue tone and metaphorical rhetorical techniques to advise people to cherish time and youth. The main idea of ??the poem is to advise you not to be greedy for glory and wealth, but to cherish the precious time of your youth. Pick flowers as soon as they are in full bloom and can be easily climbed. Do not wait until the flowers fade to pick branches.