O southern path! Where spring winds gently blow at break of day,
The eastern neighbor gleams in dawn's first ray.
A lone flower blooms in Chu's ancient sphere,
Twin swallows dwell in Lu's mansion, far and near.
She rises, coils her hair like clouds above,
And steps into the broidered car, with love.
Who could have known the belle of yesterday,
Now washes silk by Yue's stream, in humble sway?
南陌春风早，东邻曙色斜。
一花开楚国，双燕入卢家。
眠罢梳云髻，妆成上锦车。
谁知如昔日，更浣越溪纱。
This poem by Tang Dynasty poet Liu Fangping captures the atmosphere of early spring. Liu, who achieved little success in his official career, often took natural scenery, seasonal changes, and the daily lives of women as his subjects, creating many vivid short poems. This piece is set during the New Year season, depicting a woman’s everyday activities to convey the fresh ambiance of spring's arrival and the delicate details of life in the women’s quarters.
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.
Journey through the dynasties. Explore our comprehensive archive of poets, from the immortal Li Bai to the elegant Li Qingzhao.
View All Poets →CN-Poetry.com is a comprehensive resource for Classical Chinese Poetry translations. Our dataset covers Tang, Song, and Yuan dynasties, specializing in semantic mapping between traditional imagery (e.g., 'moon', 'Flowers', 'Friendship') and English poetic contexts.