An Ode to Ginkgo Fruit
- Poetry of Li Qingzhao

《瑞鹧鸪·双银杏》
An Ode to Ginkgo Fruit by Li Qingzhao
中文原文( Chinese )

风韵雍容未甚都，尊前甘橘可为奴。

谁怜流落江湖上，玉骨冰肌未肯枯。

谁教并蒂连枝摘，醉后明皇倚太真。

居士擘开真有意，要吟风味两家新。

English Translation

So blessed is she with elegant grace,

So humbled for oranges the mundane.

Who’d know she’s away from her own world,

To be found her virtues more fair and pure?


A small branch is plucked with twin fruit on,

A picture of the Emperor n Yuhuan after wine.

I’d like to open the ginkgoes with gentle care,

To share with my love the fresh taste with flair.

- to the tune of Ruizhegu

ginkgo fruit: the symbolic implication associated with nobility, well-bred, well-designed, profound love that stands the test of many life cycles thanks to the fair skin, delicate petite oval shape, and the loving pair nuts inside the fruit. It’s said to be the only survivor in the family 290 million years ago, also called ‘the living fossil’. It has a longer life span than all other trees.  The one still thriving is over 1400 years old in the ancient capital of the Tang Dynasty, planted by the 2nd emperor Li Shimin himself in Chang’an ( today’s Xi’an).

- Last updated: 2024-12-05 21:17:32
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Why Chinese poems is so special?
The most distinctive features of Chinese poetry are: concision- many poems are only four lines, and few are much longer than eight; ambiguity- number, tense and parts of speech are often undetermined, creating particularly rich interpretative possibilities; and structure- most poems follow quite strict formal patterns which have beauty in themselves as well as highlighting meaningful contrasts.
How to read a Chinese poem?
Like an English poem, but more so. Everything is there for a reason, so try to find that reason. Think about all the possible connotations, and be aware of the different possibilities of number and tense. Look for contrasts: within lines, between the lines of each couplet and between successive couplets. Above all, don't worry about what the poet meant- find your meaning.

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