浣溪沙. 细雨斜风作晓寒 A chill wind sways willows in drizzling rain

浣溪沙. 细雨斜风作晓寒

(元丰七年十二月二十四日，从泗州刘倩叔游南山。)

原作: 苏轼（11世纪北宋）

英版: 闵晓红(2023)

细雨斜风作晓寒，

淡烟疏柳媚晴滩。

入淮清洛渐漫漫。

雪沫乳花浮午盏，

蓼茸蒿笋试春盘。

人间有味是清欢。

A chill wind sways willows in drizzling rain

(I visited Mt South with Liu Qianshu in Sizhou on 24 Dec. 1084)

-       to the tune “The Washing Stream"

Chinese original: Su Shi (1084)

English version: Julia Min (2023)

A chill wind sways willows in drizzling rain,

Embracing the riverbanks in drifting smoke.

River Luo feeds into River Huai in vast folds.

Lunch is smartweed, mugwort, bamboo shoots,

with tea crema on my cup like smooth snow.

Only in simplest life does truest joy unfold.

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Appreciation:

1. Historical & Personal Transition

In 1084, Su Shi was in a state of professional and spiritual "limbo". After years of political turmoil in Huangzhou, he was being moved to Ruzhou. This poem is more than a travel log; Donpo uses sensory details to signal a major life transition—evidence of his early intent to retire. Having lived through the chaos and complexity of civilisation, Su Shi uses this moment in Sizhou to meditate on his return to basics in pursuit of a Daoist, detached experience.

2. The Structural Metaphor: Rivers to the Soul

The poem follows a deliberate architectural flow:

• Five branch rivers: The first five lines depict five subjects—the weather, the trees, the rivers, the tea, and the food.

• The mainstream: All these sensory details feed slowly into the final line. The ‘truest joy’ is the ocean where all these simple experiences eventually meet.

  
  

3. Sensory Symbolism

• The Tea (Dian Cha 点茶): The ‘tea crema‘ refers to the Song Dynasty art of whisking tea into a thick, milky froth. By comparing it to ‘smooth snow,‘ Su Shi contrasts the physical cold of the morning wind with the aesthetic warmth and beauty of his drink.

• The Spring Plate: The smartweed, mugwort, and bamboo shoots represent a relearning of the original taste. To Su Shi, these humble wild vegetables were more flavoursome than a royal banquet because they were untainted by political ambition.

• For Su Shi, the ‘truest joy’ was the realisation that he no longer needed the world's approval to be content.

Notes:

1.     Liu Qianshu: a friend who lived in Sizhou (approximately in Si County, Anhui Province today);

2.     Mt South: located to the southeast of Sizhou.

3.     River Luo: a river branch flowing from northwest to northeast in Anhui, joining River Huai there.

4.     Tea: Tea-making in the Song dynasty was a major part of daily life, with a variety of teas served at the table. This creamy tea-making was called ‘Dian Cha’, still seen today in Japan and some countries in South Asia, in the names of ‘Cha Latte’ and ‘Mocha’.

Reference:

Blooming Alone in Winter by Gordon Osing, Julia Min and Huang Haipeng，published by the People's Publication House Henan Province in 1990 (《寒心未肯随春态》戈登.奥赛茵，闵晓红，黄海鹏) (A light rain showing the cold angle of the wind cleared out/And then we saw the thin smoke of a home, scattered willows tending an empty bank/Where Luo Creek feeds easily as clear into the River Huai.// White as snow, white like milk-flowers boils my cup of tea at noon./My Spring plate is full of the taste of fresh lettuce and wild greens,/Better these simple luxuries than bowls-full of greasy society. )

2. painting from google；

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