The Spring's Morning Gift
- Poetry of Lu Guimeng
The spring court at dawn doth a special scene display,
Where clear dewdrops on winding flowers lay.
A bumblebee, once passing, turns so lazy and deep,
That on fragrant stamens it nightly falls asleep.
Lu Guimeng lived in the rural Jiangnan region during the late Tang Dynasty. Long withdrawn from public life, he farmed for sustenance, which honed his keen observation of nature’s subtle changes. His lyrical and pastoral poems often begin with ordinary scenes and daily life, yet evoke a world brimming with vitality. This "Spring Dawn" differs entirely from Meng Haoran’s famous poem of the same title—while the latter often carries a sense of spring nights fading and time slipping away, Lu’s piece purely depicts scenery, full of leisurely charm, reflecting his serene heart in close communion with nature.
春庭晓景别，清露花逦迤。
黄蜂一过慵，夜夜栖香蕊。
- 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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- Midnight Song of the Four Seasons: Summer
- In Reply to Pimei’s Poem Written During Illness
- Ten Odes on Tea Utensils: Tea Vale White Lotus
- Spring Thoughts II
- The Arcane Celadon of Yue Kiln
- Lodging by Riverside Tower
- Along the River for Flowers Alone I
- The Cottage by the Stream
- The Lotus-Gathering Song