Hǎi TángCrabapple 海棠
Su Shi lights candles at night to look at crab-apple blossom, which flowers in spring.
Original Chinese text with pinyin
东风袅袅泛崇光
dōng fēng niǎo niǎo fàn chóng guāng
香雾空蒙月转廊
xiāng wù kōng méng yuè zhuǎn láng
只恐夜深花睡去
zhǐ kǒng yè shēn huā shuì qù
故烧高烛照红粧
gù shāo gāo zhú zhào hóng zhuāng
Simplified characters; traditional title: 海棠.
English translation
The east wind blows softly; the blossoms glow;
fragrant mist hangs hazy as the moon turns past the gallery.
Fearing only that, deep in the night, the flowers will fall asleep,
I light tall candles to shine on their rouged faces.
Original translation by Poetune — literal but poetic, written for this site.
Line by line
Meaning and imagery
Su Shi lights candles at night to look at crab-apple blossom, which flowers in spring. The scene stays with you.
Background
Su Shi lights candles at night to look at crab-apple blossom, which flowers in spring.
Key words
- 海棠 hǎi táng
- begonia; crabapple
- 红妆 hóng zhuāng
- red makeup; a woman in festive dress
- 高烛 gāo zhú
- a tall candle
About the poet: Su Shi
Su Shi, better known as Su Dongpo, was a poet, essayist, painter, calligrapher and official — the great all-rounder of the Song dynasty. Repeatedly exiled, he met hardship with humor and philosophy, and made the ci (song lyric) a vehicle for grand themes.
Lifetime: 1037–1101. Other famous works: Prelude to Water Melody (When Will the Moon Be Clear?) (水调歌头); Spring Night (春夜); Remembering the Past at Red Cliff (念奴娇·赤壁怀古); Written on the Wall at West Forest Temple (题西林壁); Drinking at West Lake: First Sun, Then Rain (饮湖上初晴后雨); Red Cliff Rhapsody (赤壁赋); Gazing South from Chaoran Terrace (望江南); Drunk at Lake View Tower (六月二十七日望湖楼醉书); Spring River at Dusk (惠崇春江晚景); Crabapple (海棠); Silk-Washing Stream (浣溪沙); Silk-Washing Stream: Dragon Boat Festival (浣溪沙); Eating Lychees (食荔枝); On the Road to Xincheng (新城道中); Calming the Waves (定风波); For Liu Jingwen (赠刘景文).
More by Su Shi
- Spring Night春夜
- Written on the Wall at West Forest Temple题西林壁
- Drinking at West Lake: First Sun, Then Rain饮湖上初晴后雨
- Prelude to Water Melody (When Will the Moon Be Clear?)水调歌头
- Remembering the Past at Red Cliff念奴娇·赤壁怀古
- Gazing South from Chaoran Terrace望江南
- Drunk at Lake View Tower六月二十七日望湖楼醉书
- Spring River at Dusk惠崇春江晚景