English Rendering
On the plain or atop the hill,
Of beauty you enjoy your fill.
You gather honey from flowers sweet.
For whom are you busy and fleet?
To the Bee
- Poetry of Luo Yin
《蜂》
Original Text (中文原文)
不论平地与山尖，无限风光尽被占。
采得百花成蜜后，为谁辛苦为谁甜？
Analysis & Context
Composed around 859 AD during Emperor Xuanzong's reign, this poem was written when Luo Yin, repeatedly failing the imperial examinations, witnessed a corrupt society where eunuchs and nobles monopolized power while commoners toiled in vain. Using bees as metaphor, he critiques social injustice and expresses sympathy for laborers.
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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