Chū Xià Jí ShìEarly Summer 初夏即事
Wang Anshi on early summer: green shade and grass are better than flowers.
Original Chinese text with pinyin
石梁茅屋有弯埼
shí liáng máo wū yǒu wān qí
流水溅溅度两陂
liú shuǐ jiàn jiàn dù liǎng bēi
晴日暖风生麦气
qíng rì nuǎn fēng shēng mài qì
绿阴幽草胜花时
lǜ yīn yōu cǎo shèng huā shí
Simplified characters; traditional title: 初夏即事.
English translation
A stone bridge, a thatched house, a curving shore;
the flowing water babbles across two ponds.
Sunny days and warm winds bring the scent of wheat;
green shade and quiet grass are better than the flower season.
Original translation by Poetune — literal but poetic, written for this site.
Line by line
Meaning and imagery
Wang Anshi on early summer: green shade and grass are better than flowers. The scene stays with you.
Background
Wang Anshi on early summer: green shade and grass are better than flowers.
Key words
- 弯埼 wān qí
- a curved spit of land; winding shore
- 溅溅 jiàn jiàn
- splashing; murmuring (of a stream)
- 两陂 liǎng bēi
- two ponds or embankments
About the poet: Wang Anshi
Wang Anshi was a chief minister of the Northern Song who pushed through the sweeping "New Policies" reforms. Out of office he retired to Nanjing and wrote compact, finely polished quatrains. He is one of the "Eight Great Prose Masters of the Tang and Song."
Lifetime: 1021–1086. Other famous works: Mooring at Guazhou (泊船瓜洲); Plum Blossoms (梅花); Climbing Feilai Peak (登飞来峰); New Year's Day (元日); Apricot Blossom by the North Pond (北陂杏花); Written on the Wall of Mr Huyin (书湖阴先生壁); Early Summer (初夏即事); At Zhongshan (钟山即事); Night Duty (夜直).
More by Wang Anshi
- Climbing Feilai Peak登飞来峰
- Mooring at Guazhou泊船瓜洲
- Plum Blossoms梅花
- New Year's Day元日
- Apricot Blossom by the North Pond北陂杏花
- Written on the Wall of Mr Huyin书湖阴先生壁
- At Zhongshan钟山即事
- Night Duty夜直