There are ancient poems describing watermelon, such as "Watermelon Garden".
"Watermelon Garden" is a seven-character quatrain composed by Fan Chengda, a poet of the Southern Song Dynasty, on his way to the Kingdom of Jin. The first and second sentences of this poem describe the environment in which watermelons grow and the scene of eating melons everywhere; the third and fourth sentences describe the unsatisfactory shape and taste of watermelons.
The original text is as follows:
It has a light and liquid taste. It was originally grown in the north of Yan, but is now grown in Henan.
Biman Lingshuang lies on the soft sand, and has eaten watermelon everywhere for many years.
The shape is as light as water, and cannot be boasted by grapes or alfalfa.
The translation is as follows:
Although watermelon has a lot of juice, it tastes as light as water. It was originally grown in the Yanbei area, and now it is also planted everywhere in Henan.
Watermelons with green vines grow on the sandy ground despite the frost. When the season comes, watermelons are eaten everywhere.
The hollow shape of watermelon tastes like drinking water. It is an imported product but not as good as alfalfa.
Extended information:
Fan Chengda went to the Jin Dynasty as an envoy in the fifth month of the sixth year of Qiandao (1170), and wrote seventy-two seven-character quatrains and a volume of diary along the way. "Raising the Bridle Record", this poem is the second one. Fan Cheng traveled to Kaifeng and saw that watermelons originally "grown in Yandi" had spread all over Henan. He was deeply moved and wrote this poem.
The first and second sentences of this poem describe the environment in which watermelons grow and how they are eaten everywhere every summer year after year. Watermelon, like grapes and alfalfa, are all imported products. At this time, they are already common in the north. "Biman" and "soft sand", the green and yellow colors are in sharp contrast but harmonious and unified, full of the beauty of Tianjia. However, "Lingshuang" "The words suddenly became cold. Beautiful things cannot withstand severe frost."
The third and fourth sentences of this poem describe the shape and taste of watermelon. The poet feels that the watermelon growing in the north is unsatisfactory in shape and taste and cannot be compared with grapes and alfalfa. There was a hint of regret.
Baidu Encyclopedia - Watermelon Garden