In the snowy yard the Spring messenger arrived
- Poetry of Li Qingzhao

《渔家傲·雪里已知春信至》
In the snowy yard the Spring messenger arrived by Li Qingzhao
中文原文( Chinese )

雪里已知春信至，寒梅点缀琼枝腻。

香脸半开娇旖旎，当庭际，玉人浴出新妆洗。

造化可能偏有意，故教明月玲珑地。

共赏金尊沈绿蚁，莫辞醉，此花不与群花比。

English Translation

In the snowy yard the Spring messenger arrived:

There, fresh from bath, mirrors a jade fairy being.

Her sleeky plum boughs are sprouting, blossoming,-

so delicate, lips opening, a sweetness personified.


Her, the Creation must favour above all her like,

so let the vivid moon shine the brightest tonight.

Let’s fill our golden cups, all with the new wine.

A toast to this unusual beauty, till morning light.

- to the tune of Yujia’ao

Scholars associate the exuberance of this ci with the earlier phase of Li Qingzhao's life, before she and her kind began fleeing to the south from the sudden foreign encroachments. Western readers would do well to imagine the absolute unity she pictured, between the plum blossoms in the snowy yard, the moon and herself, and her beautiful eloquence on the plum blossoms. The flower has been a symbol of the desired qualities valued in the Chinese culture -- brave, proud and enduring spirit.

- Last updated: 2024-12-05 21:26:22
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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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