An Ode to Mandarin --to the musical tune The Silk Washing Stream Chinese original: Su Shi (11th Century) English version: Julia Min (Dec. 2024) As frost sends chrysanthemum n lotus to dream, Mandarin begin to glow against the winter green， brightening bamboo fences and thatched eaves. The peel bursts with a mist refreshing and sweet. The first taste cools the soul—a soothing stream. The Wu girls bear the scent on hand for three eves. picture from 世界王氏网 Appreciation: This poem was composed in 1082, when Su Shi (Dongpo) was still in Huangzhou as an exiled officer. Huangzhou was historically part of the ancient Wu State, hence the mention of "Wu ladies" in the final line. Mandarins from the Wu region were once tribute fruits for the imperial court, prized for their superior flavour. Su Shi was a true food enthusiast, leaving behind many poems on culinary delights. He also invented several famous dishes that remain popular today—all of which are personal favourites of mine. His love for food is vividly captured in the second stanza of this poem: the burst of fragrance, the cool sensation on the tongue, and the lingering sweetness. Chrysanthemums and lotus flowers traditionally symbolise courage and purity. For Dongpo, every hardship was bearable because he could always find solace in good food. When virtue goes unrecognised or unrewarded, he suggests, a good meal and wine shared with friends can lift your spirits once more. For a fuller sense of this philosophy, readers may turn to his other poems from the same period, such as "Upon Arriving at Huangzhou" (《初到黄州》) and "To Liu Jingwen" (《赠刘景文》). 浣溪沙·咏橘 原作: 苏轼（字子瞻, 号东坡居士; 11世纪北宋） 菊暗荷枯一夜霜， 新苞(bāo)绿叶照林光， 竹篱(lí)茅舍出青黄。 香雾噀(xùn)人惊半破， 清泉流齿怯(qiè)初尝， 吴姬三日手犹香。 Reference:

行香子.草际鸣蛩 原作：李清照 （宋） 英译：戈登.奥赛茵，闵晓红 草际鸣蛩，惊落梧桐。 正人间天上愁浓。 云阶月地，关锁千重。 纵浮槎来，浮槎去，不相逢。 星桥鹊驾，经年才见， 想离情别恨难穷。 牵牛织女，莫是离中。 甚霎儿晴，霎儿雨，霎儿风。 In the meadow crickets startled parasol trees -- to the Tune of Xingxiangzi written by Li Qingzhao （ 1084-1155？） translated by Gordon Osing & Julia Min modified by Julia Min ( 2024) In the meadow crickets startled parasol trees Into dropping leaves, and an ancient sorrow Fills Heaven and Earth, and the lunar world Sees cloud-wrought stairs strewn with hurdles. Although he goes on boat searching to and fro, He rarely meets among the stars a single soul.   Only once in a year over the vast Starry River, Magpies gather building a bridge for the lovers, Herdsman and Weaver, just one night together. The rest of the year they won’t see each other, An endless struggle like this changing weather. Nothing stays, wind or rain, sunshine or pleasure. For appreciation: This  ci  comes from the period after the poet had moved south to avoid the conquering Jin armies, when her married life was not only interrupted by her husband's departure on official duties, but it was cast into peril for the unforeseeable future. The folktale of the Herdsman and his weaver wife is the usual one summoned to capture the perpetual remorse of lovers whose separations outnumber their times together. Notes: 1. ‘cloud-wrought stairs strewn with hurdles’: the stairs of heaven are made of clouds, the Moon goddess lives in her jade palace, an ideal domain very hard to reach. 2. ‘boat’: Legend says that there are boats sailing in Autumn and August ( Chinese Calendar) in the Starry River every year. So one man decided to set sail to the River and arrived in ten days. He saw the Herdsman with his cows on the riverbank but his wife is far away in some palace on the other side of the River. 3. ‘Herdsman and Weaver’: Just like westerners celebrate Valentine’s Day, Chinese have their celebration on July 7th (Chinese Lunar Calendar). Legend has it that the Herdsman and his weaver wife join each other on a bridge built by the birds for their brief moment. Their one reunion in a year on the "Birds' Bridge", or “Star Bridge”, as it is also called, is their punishment for disobeying Heaven's rules and loving defiantly (fairies are forbidden to marry humans). Pinyin and Word -For-Word Translation: xíng xiāng zǐ cǎo jì míng qióng ， jīng luò wú tóng 。 zhèng rén jiān tiān shàng chóu nóng 。 yún jiē yuè dì ， guān suǒ qiān zhòng 。 zòng fú chá lái ， fú chá qù ， bú xiàng féng 。 xīng qiáo què jià ， jīng nián cái jiàn ， xiǎng lí qíng bié hèn nán qióng 。 qiān niú zhī nǚ ， mò shì lí zhōng 。 shèn shà ér qíng ， shà ér yǔ ， shà ér fēng 。

Riding the Rapids on Spring River -to the tune of Xingxiangzi Chinese original: Su Shi English version: Julia Min (Dec.2024) One little canoe with two little paddles, Stirs the blue mirror of the Spring River. The fish play flipping games on algae near. The wild swans, aroused, rise in the air, The egrets dot the misty dales here and there. Then we bumped down the thrilling rapids— through the frosty mist, over the white water, into a gleaming melody on the moon river. A stream of screen art at each winding turn. A skyline of cascade mountains, far and near. Lord Yan Lin secluded himself for a reason. Such a dream — between him and the ruler! There’s nothing like the mountain ranges— When clear, the eye can reach lands of wonder; If cloudy, the crests are a stage of sky drama; At daybreak, it’s a blue haven, serene and fair. Notes: 1. Three-Mile Rapids: Located thirty li south of Tonglu County in present-day Zhejiang Province. The Qiantang River, flanked by steep mountains on both sides, flows swiftly through this narrow gorge over sand and rocks for a continuous seven li (about 3 miles)— hence the name. 2. Lord Yan Lin: Social name Ziling. He assisted Liu Xiu (Emperor Guangwu of the Eastern Han Dynasty) in ascending the throne. As he harboured no interest in political ambitions, he changed his name and identity to embrace a life of seclusion here at the Spring River (Fuchun River). The emperor valued Ziling's talents and personality and wanted him at his court. Artists were dispatched to draw Yan Ziling's portrait, which was then posted far and wide in search of him. Subsequently, reports from the state of Qi indicated that a man was fishing in the marshes while clad in a sheepskin robe. Liu Xiu suspected this was Yan Ziling and promptly dispatched envoys to summon him with carriages and gifts. Despite these efforts, Yan Ziling declined all offers, determined to remain secluded on this beautiful Spring River. Appreciation: Written in the second month of spring, in the sixth year of the Xining era (1073 CE) under Emperor Shenzong of the Song Dynasty. Due to political disagreements with the Emperor and with Wang Anshi, who advocated for the New Policies, Su Shi was sent outside the capital to serve as Assistant Prefect of Hangzhou. While on an inspection tour to Fuyang, he took a boat journey along the river and composed this poem as he passed through the Three-Mile Rapids. This little poem reads like a movie streaming before your mind's eye – from a peaceful water surface on higher terrain down through a rapid flow of white waters on the sand river to a serene world of seclusion. It's like a life cycle, transforming yin and yang from peace to chaos, and back again. After the water subject, the poem shifts to mountains in the second stanza. Mountains and rivers are another yin-yang combination of static and mobile, often appearing in Chinese paintings. Referring to the well-known story of Yan Ziling highlights Su Shi's theme—the classical debate over whether to live for glory or for peace. The Song artists embraced blue and green colours in landscape painting. There's a film just released in October in the name of Just Green and Blue (《只此青绿》). I have loved it ever since the story first appeared as a stage dance. Song's art looks simple, even pretty common at first glance, but is enduring because it embodies a complexity of ideas and philosophies beyond. To enrich your understanding, you may find more pleasure in his other poem about a rapids' ride – "The 100-Step River Rapids' Ride" (《百步洪》), which can be found on this website. 行香子 . 过七里濑 原作: 苏轼（字子瞻, 号东坡居士; 11世纪北宋） 一叶舟轻，双桨鸿惊。 水天青，影湛波平。 鱼翻藻鉴，鹭点烟汀。 过沙溪急，霜溪冷，月溪明。 重重似画，曲曲如屏。 算当年，虚老严陵。 君臣一梦，今古空名。 但远山长，云山乱，晓山青。 Reference: 1. https://wgly-hangzhou-gov-cn picture from Google

A Taste of Early Spring —To the tune of “Sand Washed by Sand” Chinese original: Su Shi English version: Julia Min (Nov. 2024) From the east gate of Hangzhou City, We ride out for a taste of early spring. Stirring in sheath, buds swell on trees; Over fences, apricots bow to the wind. Poetry in motion—the call of Spring. On a country road, a faint scent roams. In a field of snow, a village lies unknown. A touch of magic by the God of Spring— In a world of icy cold and pure serene, Her first promise honours plum blossom. Analysis: This little poem was composed in 1072, the same period as another of Su Shi's works, "A Farewell Toast to Shugu at Youmei Hall," which is also selected for this book. Spring has been celebrated across centuries and cultures, yet what distinguishes Su Shi's "A Taste of Early Spring" is its ingenious blending of the visual and the sensory—and, more subtly, its quiet contrast between two faces of the season: the boisterous and the serene. Inside the city walls, spring announces itself with abundance and motion. Buds stir in their sheaths, swelling toward light; apricot branches bow over fences, swaying like poets moved by their own verse. Here is spring as performance—"poetry in motion"—the call of the season in full voice. But beyond the east gate, a different spring unfolds. A village lies buried in snow, half-hidden, half-dreaming. No brilliant blossoms greet the eye. Instead, only a faint scent roams the country road—elusive, almost shy. In this world of icy cold and pure serene, the God of Spring does not arrive with fanfare. He works by a gentle touch of magic, and his first whisper honours not the showy apricot but the quiet plum blossom in solitude. This contrast reveals the poet's heart. The plum blossom, blooming alone in the cold, asking for no audience, becomes a symbol of integrity, resilience, and inner grace. To prefer the plum is to value what endures over what dazzles—to find the deepest spring not in spectacle, but in silence, not in the crowd, but in the soul's first quiet promise. Let your imagination follow this association, and you will begin to understand why, for centuries, Chinese poets and artists have loved the plum blossom above almost all other flowers. It is spring's first and most faithful voice—not the loudest, but the most gracious. 浪淘沙·探春 原作: 苏轼（字子瞻, 号东坡居士; 11世纪北宋） 昨日出东城, 试探春情, 墙头红杏暗如倾。 槛内群芳芽未吐, 早已回春。 绮陌敛香尘, 雪霁前村。 东君用意不辞辛。 料想春光先到处, 吹绽梅英。 Reference: picture from https://so.ooopic.com/sousuo/1762538/

A Farewell Toast to Shugu at Youmei Hall --to the ci tune “Spring River” Chinese original: Su Shi English version: Julia Min (Nov. 2024) The best view of River South is from the Hall— a painting of lakes, rivers, and hills unrolled. When will Hangzhou honour your return call? Parting is such sweet sorrow—so cheers to all. Look: the streetlights vibe up Riversdale view. Listen: the night song rhymes with “River Tune”. The moon river glimmers like a green glass mirror, as wind softens a slumber in the night's whisper. Notes: The Southeast: Youmei Hall faces Hangzhou's southeast, home to the city's finest landscapes and most prosperous streets. "Parting is such sweet sorrow": Borrowed from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, this oxymoron creates a stronger artistic effect. Parting stretches the bonds of life, and the sorrow is tinged with the sweetness of memories. It anticipates a future reunion. "River Tune": A particular musical mode for ci lyrics. "the night seals a slumber": Borrowed from William Wordsworth's poem "A slumber did my spirit seal" (1798). Blue crystal: Dark blue crystal is associated with humanity, discretion, and honour. Its calm energy invites spiritual awakening, serenity, and tranquillity. Analysis: This is a ci poem composed at a farewell party for Su Shi's superior and friend Chen Xiang (1017–1080 CE; social name "Shugu"). At the time, Shugu was the governor, while Su Shi, in his late thirties, served as the secretary-general and magistrate of Hangzhou Prefecture. Both belonged to the old party (or the shadow party) opposing the new party. The New Laws had been enacted, and the Royal Court was crowded with Wang Anshi's followers, while Chen Xiang and Su Shi were assigned to posts away from the capital. Hangzhou has always been a most desirable place for its landscape beauty, with lakes and rivers intertwined with rolling hills. It is a land of promise, renowned as "China's Warehouse of Grains," "The Land of Fish and Rice," and "Earthly Paradise”,—and I would add to the list: "a land of romance and poetry." Chen Xiang, twenty years older, deeply valued Su Shi's talents. They entertained each other by creating new works using the same rhyme schemes and melodies. They shared a political ambition: to raise the quality of life in the local area to the highest possible level during their time in office. Indeed, they solved historical problems through engineering projects addressing the city's water supply and the West Lake blockage. A thousand years later, a most popular tourist destination still honours its achievements—the Lord Su Causeway. Moreover, when Su Shi returned as governor a decade later, he built the world's first hospital, where even prisoners were treated without discrimination. This short ci lyric is a song of praise, but in a most implicit way. The first stanza invites readers into a beautiful setting before introducing the theme of farewell, suggesting that the people of Hangzhou will miss Shugu. The second stanza presents a prosperous cityscape, suggesting that under Shugu's governance, the people of Hangzhou enjoy a peaceful and gracious life. The last two lines convey dual messages, referring to the engineering projects and to Shugu's devotion to the people's cause—a spirit as pure as a crystal-blue river beneath the bright moon. Indeed, both men contributed significantly to the success of the projects. Su Shi wished that both of them would maintain the same spirit throughout their future official careers. 虞美人·有美堂赠述古 原作: 苏轼（字子瞻, 号东坡居士; 11世纪北宋） 湖山信是东南美，一望弥千里。 使君能得几回来，便使尊前醉倒、且徘徊。 沙河塘里灯初上，水调谁家唱。 夜阑风静欲归时，惟有一江明月、碧琉璃。 Reference: m.gushiwen.cn(古诗文网）

品令.急雨惊秋晓 原作：李清照（存疑） 英译及赏析：闵晓红 急雨惊秋晓，今岁较、秋风早。 一觞一咏，更须莫负、晚风残照。 可惜莲花已谢，莲房尚小。 汀苹岸草，怎称得、人情好。 有些言语，也待醉折、荷花问道。 道与荷花，人比去年总老。 A Chasing Rain Awakes Me at Daybreak - to the tune of Pinling written by Li Qingzhao ( 12th century) trans. + annot. by Julia Min A chasing rain awakes me at daybreak. It’s the west wind, - already, autumn came! Life is nice with poems consumed with wine, and the sun is cosy though setting’s her fate.     The lotus are done with her blooming race, leaving seed-pods still small, - such a shame!   Only grassy strands and duckweeds on the lake, how could I remain as gay when spring decayed? There’re words beyond elegance and eloquence， Till you pick lotus again with a tipsy brain. - I’d ask the flower in her charming grace: “why we’re ageing but you come back the same?” Appreciation: The two Pingling ci poems (this one and “The Fallen Crimson Rouged the Ground of Mud”) have not been confirmed as Li Qingzhao’s creation due to the difference recorded in different publications. Judging from the language used, the style and structure, they could well be her works on boudoir sentiments.   Sentiments at the end of autumn are widely captured in literature, used mainly to associate with aging, declining or simply promising things coming close to the end.  Reference: Baike.baidu.com

品令 . 零落残红 原作：李清照（存疑，疑为 曾纡 词） 零落残红，恰浑似、胭脂色。 一年春事，柳飞轻絮，笋添新竹。 寂寞幽闺，坐对小园嫩绿。 登临未足，怅游子、归期促。 他年魂梦，千里犹到，城阴溪曲。 应有凌波，时为故人留目。 The Fallen Crimson Rouged the Ground of Mud -- to the tune of Pinling written by Li Qingzhao tran.+annot. by Julia Min The fallen crimson rouged the ground of mud. As in every spring, they’re born to die to dust. The willows let their catkins travelling free, and bamboo shoots will soon be new trees. Again in her boudoir she’ll be alone to see her garden taken by a world of green grief.   Ambition never fills. I know you can’t stay, and your leaving is coming close by the day. If graced in sweet dreams I’d join you again, a thousand miles away, to your city, your place, to the stream winding the wall in hidden shade, and ripple waves to your heart for a misty gaze. Appreciation: Another poem on spring grief at the end of the season, popular in sentimental poetry. Springtime is the season of life and death, a season of oxymoron. Life’s cycle has its governing rules to make new life thrive upon the old and worn.Every rebirth contains some level of death. Li Qingzhao surely understood this as a master of the minor-key sensations of romantic ripples in the heart, of melancholy, of boudoir love and regrets.  The subjects mentioned often bear symbolic meanings, serving like a pun in the context. The fallen crimson represents the passing of spring years in one’s life time, the romantic season of lovers. Willow catkins here refers to the man with official duties who have no control over his destiny. He has to travel away from home for his ambition. Bamboo shoots here suggests his promising future after some hardship in growth. A world with only green is a spring grief over the thinning and fallen crimsons, hinting the inevitable passing of her rosy days. This poem reminds me of Christina Rossetti’s poem “ Spring” --- “There’s no time like Spring that passes by, /Now newly born, and now hastening to die. ” and Philip Larkin’s (1922—1985)   “The Trees” --- “ The trees are coming into leaf / Like something almost being said; / The recent buds relax and spread, / Their greenness is a kind of grief.” Notes: 1. ‘ambition never fills’: from the Mexican proverb -- ‘Ambition never has its fill’, meaning here the pursuit of man’s ambition has no ending; the desire can’t be filled. Reference: baike.baidu.com

祭赵湖州文 原作：李清照 英译：闵晓红 白日正中，叹庞翁之机捷。坚城自堕，怜杞妇之悲深。 On the death of my husband Zhao Mingcheng, the governor of Huzhou written by: : Li Qingzhao ( 12th century) translated by： Julia Min Your life journey is just half way, like the dazzling sun at midday. Then you’re gone, leaving me alone to a world sinking astray. You’re the elite of the Song, but nothing gold can stay. I remember the daughter of Monk Pang, who ended her life before he passed away, -- a relieve from such grief faithful to a heart of pain. Appreciation: Yi'an's husband Zhao Mingcheng (1081 - 1129, epigrapher, poet, and politician) died of disease after he was appointed to be Huzhou's governor of the New Southern Song dynasty. His sudden death left his wife to a world under the siege of the Jin invaders. Reference: 1. baike.baidu.com (百度百科) 2. zh.wikipedia.org (维基百科） 3. 《李清照集笺注》李清照撰，徐培均笺注； 2002年上海古籍出版社 4. 《李清照文集》 作者：（北宋）李清照著，刘振鹏https://books.google.com.au/ 5. All pictures are selected from google search.

减字木兰花 作者：李清照 卖花担上， 买得一枝春欲放。 泪染轻匀， 犹带彤霞晓露痕。 怕郎猜道， 奴面不如花面好。 云鬓斜簪, 徒要教郎比并看 Budding Blooms - to the Tune of Jianzi Mangnolia Translated by Julia Min From a flower peddler in neighbourhood I bought budding blooms for our room. The pink tips are covered with morning dews Still twinkling with golden red hues. Her natural charm could fascinate my mate. I regret my silly choice, but too late. So pinned on my hair near my cheeks fair I wear the blossom for him to compare. Analysis Composed in her early marriage days when she was still a teenage girl, this ci poem is the only one in this music tune pattern from her collection left today. She was the happiest lady in the world living with her beloved husband who was then a carefree student at the Royal Academy in the capital city of Northern Song Dynasty. A glimpse of their daily life is manifested here, which is a treat for us to enjoy, especially the clever and witted zoom-in of a minute moment in the secret little mind of a young lady. Pinying and Word -For-Word Translation: jiǎn zì mù lán huā – the music pattern Jianzi Mangnolia; mài huā dān shàng – flower peddler loads on; mǎi dé yī zhī chūn yù fàng – bought one branch of Spring Budding； lèi rǎn qīng yún – teardrops soaked evenly； yóu dài tóng xiá xiǎo lù hén – as if with red rays morning dews traces； pà láng cāi dào – worried that my husband might think； nú miàn bú rú huā miàn hǎo – my face not as pretty as the flower; yún bìn xié zān – cloud hair sideway pin; tú yào jiāo láng bǐ bìng kàn – in vain ask husband to compare; Notes: 1. jiǎn zì mù lán huā – the music pattern for this ci poem. 2. chūn yù fang – spring flowers that are just budding, which most likely refers to plum blossoms , the first bloom in spring. 3. tú : used as an adverb here, meaning ‘in vain”. *Photo retrieved from: Google

Far and Wide the Lake Spreads before the Wind -- the Tune of Yuanwangsun composed by Li Qingzhao ( 12th century) old trans. by Gordon Osing and Julia Min(1990) revised trans. by Julia Min(Jul.2021) Far and wide the lake spreads before the soft wind. It’s late autumn already, lotus fragrance lingering. These waves, this light, the hills, and many more, - are the eternal echoes of ancient music performing. The lotus are seed pods with leaves brown and thin. Dews cleanse duckweed blooms, the grassy strands. The gulls and herons sleeping there don't even care to lift their heads to the girls abandoning this scene. Appreciation: This ci was written in Li Qing-zhao's early twenties, and is sometimes called "In Praise of Lotus." The quantity and zeal of the acceptance in this early poem certainly contrast with her states of mind, especially her inconsolability, in later poems. The Source Text in Chinese: 怨王孙.湖上风来波浩渺 (又作“双调忆王孙.赏荷”) 作者：李清照 湖上风来波浩渺， 秋已暮、红稀香少。 水光山色与人亲， 说不尽、无穷好。 莲子已成荷叶老， 清露洗、苹花汀草。 眠沙鸥鹭不回头， 似也恨、人归早。 Pinying and Word -For-Word Translation: yuàn wáng sūn – the musical tune hú shàng fēng lái bō hào miǎo – on the lake wind comes waves far and wide, qiū yǐ mù、hóng xī xiāng shǎo - autumn already late, pink rare fragrance little. shuǐ guāng shān sè yǔ rén qīn – water light hill color with people intimate, shuō bú jìn、wú qióng hǎo – can’t express fully, boundless beauty. lián zǐ yǐ chéng hé yè lǎo – lotus seeds already formed lotus leaves wither, qīng lù xǐ 、píng huā tīng cǎo – crystal dews wash clover flowers waterside grass. mián shā ōu lù bú huí tóu – sleeping on sand gulls herons not turn back their heads, sì yě hèn 、rén guī zǎo – as if also hate people return early.

玉楼春·腊前先报东君信 原作：李清照 / 无名氏（存疑） 英译及注释：闵晓红 腊前先报东君信， 清似龙涎香得润。 黄轻不肯整齐开， 比着红梅仍更韵。(有版本为‘仍旧韵’) 纤枝瘦绿天生嫩， 可惜轻寒摧挫损。 刘郎只解误桃花， 怅恨今年春又尽。 A Spring Message has Touched the Winter Land - to the tune “The Jade Tower in Spring” written by: Li Qingzhao / Anonymous Eng. translation &annotation: Julia Min A Spring message has touched the winter land with honeyed fragrance like ambergris scent. Light yellow and tender petals translucent, self-effacing but sweeter than plum blossoms. The slim boughs to the thin flowers attend, braving the frosty winter’s chasing wind. Liu the poet knew only the peach blossoms; For me, this withering ends the spring season. Appreciation: This is another riddle-like Ci poem about a flower blooming in winter. Have you figured it out? The flower blooms alone on bare boughs from early December to March at the latest next year. Her waxy yellow petals with touches of crimson in the middle give a subtle perfume longer and sweeter than the red plum blossoms. It is indeed the Chinese wintersweet. On the cultural level, however, wintersweet and the plum blossoms share similar symbolic meanings, only the plum blossoms more conveyed in Chinese literature. After the highly appreciated qualities of wintersweet, the theme is emphasized further in the concluding lines with a contrast against other flowers. Wintersweet shows brave courage and proud spirit, blooming in dead winter, even earlier than the plum trees. The poet has no interest in the loud pink and clustered peach flowers that choose only the comfort zone. This could be read as a criticism against the luxurious life of the gentlemen class of the Song during the threat of invasion. The poet’s cultural taste and spiritual pursuit are well-pictured. Notes: 1. This poem is listed under Li Qingzhao in some versions but others have it under ‘Anonymous’ 2. “The Jade Tower in Spring”: In pinyin, the tune is called Yulouchun (玉楼春); 3. ‘Liu the poet’: referring to Liu Yuxi (815 AC) in the Tang dynasty when he wrote a famous poem about peach blossoms. The symbolic meaning of peach blossoms in China associates with romance，posterity，secluded lifestyle and female beauty. Reference: 1. 李清照文集 作者：（北宋）李清照著，刘振鹏https://books.google.com.au/

贵妃阁春帖子 原作：李清照 英译：闵晓红 金环半后礼， 钩弋比昭阳。 春生百子帐， 喜入万年觞。 注：钩弋gōu yì是一个姓名，出自《汉书外戚传上孝武钩弋赵倢伃》— 百度 A Quatrain for the Noble Consort’s Chamber - a season’s greeting scroll for Spring Festival written by: : Li Qingzhao ( 12th century) translated by： Julia Min Honoured with the gold bracelet, almost an Empress, you have no need to envy Han’s Shaoyang Palace. May you be dearly loved and blessed with more sons, embracing a new year full of cheers and happiness. Appreciation: This is a seasonal greeting poem written on a red scroll for the Noble Consort Wu who became the Empress a few months later. Again the theme focuses on happiness and on having more children. Shaoyang Palace in the Han Dynasty is said to be a very luxurious living place for Noble Consort Zhao of Emperor Chen. Yi’an made the comparison to emphasize how much Wu was favoured by the Emperor. Please refer to “The silkworm breeding season is over - A scroll for the Empress’s chamber hall to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival”. Reference: 1. baike.baidu.com (百度百科) 2. zh.wikipedia.org (维基百科） 3. 《李清照集笺注》李清照撰，徐培均笺注； 2002年上海古籍出版社 4. 《李清照文集》 作者：（北宋）李清照著，刘振鹏https://books.google.com.au/ 5. All pictures are selected from google search.