The messenger of Spring just ended December
- Poetry of Li Qingzhao

《春光好·看看腊尽春回》

中文原文( Chinese )

看看腊尽春回。

消息到、江南早梅。

昨夜前村深雪里，一朵花开。

盈盈玉蕊如裁。

更风细、清香暗来。

空使行人肠欲断，驻马裴回。

English Translation

The messenger of Spring just ended December，

plum trees already touched with budding pairs.

In the village ahead covered in snow last night,

one plum flower flutters awake her dreamy eyes.

Her stamen tipped yellow, a design of Nature,

a subtle scent in the gentle wind roaming near.

A traveller on horse stops by and sighs in tears;

Must be the yearnings for his love left last year.

This poem is listed under Li Qingzhao in some versions but others have it under ‘Anonymous’

- Last updated: 2024-12-05 20:56:44

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.

List of Chinese poets