Viewed from the Seaside Tower morning clouds look bright;
Along the riverbank I tread on fine sand white.
The General's Temple hears roaring nocturnal tide;
Spring dwells in the Beauty's Bower green willow hide.
The red sleeves weave brocade broidered with flowers fine;
Blue streamers show amid pear blossoms a shop of wine.
Who opens a southwest lane to the temple scene?
It slants like a silk girdle around a skirt green.
Original Poem:
「杭州春望」
白居易
望海楼明照曙霞，护江堤白踏晴沙。
涛声夜入伍员庙，柳色春藏苏小家。
红袖织绫夸柿蒂，青旗沽酒趁梨花。
谁开湖寺西南路，草绿裙腰一道斜。
Interpretation:
This poem gives a comprehensive description of Hangzhou's spring scenery, melting the most characteristic scenes of Hangzhou's spring into the poem.
In the first two lines, the Seaside Tower outside Hangzhou is covered with bright sunlight, and the soft white sand is stepped on the river embankment.
Seaside Tower” and ‘riverbank’ are written first, because the building is high and the embankment is long, leading the whole poem, and they are illuminated by the colorful morning sunshine and the floodlight clear sand, rendering a florid and cheerful atmosphere, and gradually starting a good mood.
The third and fourth lines: the whistling sound of the Qiantang waves in the spring night into the temple, the delicate green willow spring color in the home of Su Xiaoxiao.
Spring tide surging, night waves swinging, sound straight vibration Wu Temple on top of Wu Mountain; willow branches cover, Su Xiaojia just new green depths, spring seems to be condensed in her flowery years and fire-like enthusiasm …… These two sentences sound and color intertwined with the real and the imaginary, and melted into the deep and far-reaching historical content of “” General's Temple “” Beauty's Temple“”, the “General's Temple”. General's Temple” ‘Beauty's Bower’, so that the ancient monuments beyond time and space, with a sense of reality.
The fifth and sixth lines: Red-sleeved maidens brag about the good weaving work of Hangya Persimmon, and the green flag gate fights to buy wine and drink “Pear Blossom”.
From the front of the spoke straight down four attractions to remove the eyes, focus on the folklore personnel up. Jiangnan silk weaving industry flourished, and the local production of wine, here special to the two together, describing Hangzhou women weaving skillful and people at that time to drink good mash folk customs, sketched out a prosperous social scene.
The last two lines: Who opened the road to the lonely mountain in the center of the lake? The grassy path is like the green skirt of a young girl curving diagonally.
Finally, the poem ends with a broad scene seen from a height, please see the clear waves of the lake like a girl's colorful skirt fluttering, on the white dike, green willow, blue grass, like the green ribbon on the girl's skirt.
This poem links the seven scenes together to form a complete picture. At the same time, the poet combines the writing of scenery with the singing of ancient times, and the taking of natural scenery with the remembering of scenery and human feelings, which makes the scenery more colorful and full of poetic flavor.
Poem translator:
Xu Yuan-chong (许渊冲)
About the poet:
Bai Juyi (白居易), 772-846 AD, was originally from Taiyuan, then moved to Weinan in Shaanxi. Bai Juyi was the most prolific poet of the Tang Dynasty, with poems in the categories of satirical oracles, idleness, sentimentality, and miscellaneous rhythms, and the most influential poet after Li Bai Du Fu.
