English Rendering
Plums leave tartness that softens the teeth,
Banana leaves lend green to window-sheath.
Waking from long noon sleep—thoughts adrift and bare,
I watch children catch willow-down in the air.
Summer Nap at Leisure I
- Poetry of Yang Wanli
《闲居初夏午睡起 · 其一》
Original Text (中文原文)
梅子留酸软齿牙，芭蕉分绿与窗纱。
日长睡起无情思，闲看儿童捉柳花。
Analysis & Context
Composed during the Qiandao era of Emperor Xiaozong of Southern Song, this work dates from Yang Wanli's period of retirement after resigning from official duties. Residing in his countryside home, he frequently incorporated pastoral scenes into his poetry to express his return to simplicity and leisurely state of mind. This particular poem captures the observations and sensations upon waking from a midday nap in early summer. Written with a tranquil and understated tone, it records an extremely subtle yet profoundly poetic moment from daily life, revealing the poet's deep connection with nature and affectionate embrace of ordinary existence.
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.
- Summer Nap at Leisure I
- Morning Meal at Qi's Inn, Songyuan
- Evening Walk in Autumn Cool
- Reply to Tang Shudu's Snow Poem
- Chasing Coolness on a Summer Night
- The Young Willow
- The Summit Temple
- <Prelude to Water Melody> Sent to Ziyou on Mid-autumn Festival
- Invitation to Wine
- Question and Answer in the Mountains
- Cold sheet
- Coming Home ( Returning Home )
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