The White orchid
- Poetry of Yang Wanli
The warm wind parts dawn's jade moss with gentle grace,
The blooms still bow with jade-white fair face.
Not easily does she her pearly smile display,
Yet how can her sweet scent the world's ends sway?
"The White Orchid" is one of Yang Wanli's small poems depicting natural scenery during the Southern Song Dynasty. Yang, known for his love of travel and nature, often infused aesthetic reflections into everyday scenes. This poem was likely inspired by a white orchid encountered during leisure or travel. In the Song Dynasty, white orchids were regarded as elegant flowers—less opulent than peonies and less flamboyant than peaches or plums—renowned for their purity and subtle grace. Through the flower’s delicate form and fragrance, the poet reflects his own pursuit of a tranquil, pure, and unassuming attitude toward life.
熏风破晓碧莲苔，花意犹低白玉颜。
一粲不曾容易发，清香何自遍人间。
- 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.
- Seven Poems on Kaiyuan Era: Dancing Horses
- 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