English Rendering
A moment of spring night is worth its length of gold, When flowers spread on moonlight and shade fragrance cold.
The slender flute from the bower plays music slender; The tender night on garden swing casts shadow tender.
Spring Night
Poetry of Su Shi
《春夜》
Original Text (中文原文)
春宵一刻值千金，花有清香月有阴。
歌管楼台声细细，秋千院落夜沉沉。
Meaning & Analysis
By Su Shi
Related Themes
Reader's Companion
The Essence of the Verse
Classical Chinese poetry thrives on Concision and Ambiguity. Without tense or number, the words create a timeless space where the reader becomes the co-creator of the poem's meaning.
Reading Between the Lines
Look for Contrasts: light and shadow, movement and stillness. Don't just translate the words; feel the Yijing (artistic conception) that lingers long after the last character.
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