The ancient poems describing animals are as follows:
1. "Ode to the Goose"
Goose, goose, song to the sky.
White hair floats on the green water, and anthurium stirs the clear waves.
Interpretation: Goose, goose, bend its neck to the sky and sing. Snow-white feathers float on the green water, and the bright red soles stir the clear water.
2. Cicada
The cicada hangs down to drink the clear dew, and the sound of the water flows out of the sparse tung trees.
It is not to borrow the autumn wind to speak loudly and from a distance.
Interpretation: The cicada hangs its tassel-like tentacles, sucks the sweet dew, and makes sounds from the branches of the tall sycamore trees. The reason why the cicada's sound can travel far is because it is located high in a tree, rather than relying on the autumn wind.
3. Birdsong Stream
The people are busy, the osmanthus flowers are falling, the night is quiet and the spring mountains are empty.
When the moon comes out, birds startle the mountains, and they sing in the spring stream.
Interpretation: In the spring night, it is silent, the sweet-scented osmanthus exudes fragrance, the petals fall, the green mountains and green forests appear more empty and quiet. The bright moon rises, startling the birds that live in the mountains, and their crisp chirps echo in the empty mountain streams from time to time.
4. Pastoral Joy
The peach red contains the rain again, and the willow tree contains the morning smoke.
The flowers have fallen, the children have not swept away the house, the orioles are singing, and the mountain guests are still sleeping.
Interpretation: The red peach blossoms are still covered with the rain from last night, and the green willows are still covered with a little bit of morning mist. The petals are falling, the servants at home are not cleaning, the oriole is singing, but the people in the mountains are still sleeping.
5. Spring Dawn
I sleep in spring without realizing the dawn, and hear the singing of birds everywhere.
The sound of wind and rain at night makes one know how many flowers have fallen.
Interpretation: I slept soundly until dawn on a spring night but didn't know it. When I woke up, I could hear the chirping of birds everywhere. Thinking of the sound of rain and wind last night, I don’t know how many flowers were knocked down.