Rain drums on southern trees all night—
By dawn, blossoms erupt in sight.
Leaves weave ever-thickening veils,
Hiding paths of past travels.
Where we met, who could foresee
Spring would near its elegy?
Toast the east wind with this plea:
Don't rush! Don't flee!
雨打江南树。一夜花开无数。
绿叶渐成阴，下有游人归路。
与君相逢处。不道春将暮。
把酒祝东风，且莫恁、匆匆去。
This ci poem was composed during Wang Anshi's retirement in Zhongshan, Jiangning. Though no longer engaged in political affairs, his reflections on time and worldly matters remained profound. Through its depiction of Jiangnan's spring scenery and lament for the season's passing, the poem conveys the poet's deep sensitivity to life's transience and the fragility of beauty. It expresses both his emotional connection to nature and his philosophical musings on life, serving as a spiritual refuge. Stylistically akin to his other late works like Pride of the Fisherman and Song of the Southern Country, it embodies the serene restraint and emotional depth characteristic of his later years.
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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