Hidden under leaves shaped as green jade
are spotted blossoms like golden sun rays.
Unworldly as Yanfu, the man of honest grace,
she is also a mirror of her soul and pure taste.
Plum trees shy away for the cluttered filaments,
so are the tacky lilacs arrayed in tiered blossoms.
Yet this fragrance, so sensible, kills the romance,
and fumigate my sweet dream beyond reasons.
揉破黄金万点轻，剪成碧玉叶层层。
风度精神如彦辅，大鲜明。
梅蕊重重何俗甚，丁香千结苦麄生。
熏透愁人千里梦，却无情。
- to the tune of Tanpo Huanxisha
This poem could be written by Li Qingzhao as agreed by most scholars. The last sentence could be an indication of the composing time being after she settled in Lin’an where her only hope of returning home is in her dream.
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.
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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