Dancing of the Maidens: Spring Scene​​ by Yan Shu

On swallows’ return comes the Spring Sacrifice day;​​
​​After pear blossoms fall, Clear and Bright holds sway.​​
​​On moss-green pond surface dots are seen;​​
​​‘Neath leafy trees orioles sing with grace.​​
​​Willow down wafts long in the breeze so keen.​​

​​How charming the smile of the maidens next door,​​
​​Coming down the mulberry-messaging lane!​​
​​“No wonder last night I dreamed with delight​​
​​To be winner of grass contest today!”​​
​​Their faces dimple with laughter in the sunlight.​

Original Poem

「渔家傲 · 近日门前溪水涨」
近日门前溪水涨。郎船几度偷相访。
船小难开红斗帐。无计向。合欢影里空惆怅。

愿妾身为红菡萏。年年生在秋江上。
重愿郎为花底浪。无隔障。随风逐雨长来往。

欧阳修

Interpretation

Though its exact composition date remains unknown, this lyric vividly captures the vibrant "She Day" festivities - ancient agrarian rituals honoring the Earth God held each spring and autumn. Set against the backdrop of Qingming season when women temporarily escaped domestic chores for games and outings, the poem paints a joyous vernal tableau through a young maiden's eyes, blending natural observation with playful innocence.

First Stanza: 燕子来时新社，梨花落后清明。池上碧苔三四点，叶底黄鹂一两声。日长飞絮轻。
Yànzi lái shí xīn shè, líhuā luò hòu qīngmíng. Chí shàng bì tái sān sì diǎn, yè dǐ huánglí yī liǎng shēng. Rì cháng fēi xù qīng.
Swallows return with Earth God's fête, Pear blossoms fade past Tomb-Sweeping Day. On the pond - three, four moss-stains set, Amid leaves - oriole's trills stray. Lengthening days lift willow fluff in ballet.

The stanza constructs a phenological calendar through precise natural indicators: migratory swallows (燕子来时) mark the festival's arrival, while fallen pear blossoms (梨花落后) confirm the solar term's progression. The economy of details - counted moss patches (三四点), numbered birdsongs (一两声) - creates a miniature world where ecological signs measure time's gentle passage.

Second Stanza: 巧笑东邻女伴，采桑径里逢迎。疑怪昨宵春梦好，原是今朝斗草赢。笑从双脸生。
Qiǎo xiào dōng lín nǚ bàn, cǎi sāng jìng lǐ féng yíng. Yí guài zuó xiāo chūn mèng hǎo, yuán shì jīn zhāo dòu cǎo yíng. Xiào cóng shuāng liǎn shēng.
East neighbor's daughter, artful smiler, Meets me on mulberry-picking trail. "That sweet spring dream last night - no wilder Prophet than today's herb-battle win without fail!" Laughter blooms twin-dimpled, rose-petal pale.

The transformation of oneiric mystery (春梦好) into playful triumph (斗草赢) reveals the maiden's uncomplicated worldview. The closing "twin-dimpled" laughter (笑从双脸生), likened to unfolding flower petals, embodies spontaneous joy - a masterstroke of Song lyrical portraiture that would influence later "gazetteer poetry" documenting folk customs.

Holistic Appreciation

The entire lyric poem is ingeniously conceived and brimming with charm. The first stanza paints a scene, presenting a vivid spring garden tableau: swallows darting, pear blossoms drifting, emerald moss and golden orioles, willow catkins floating leisurely—a vision of gentle spring serenity, suffused with delicate elegance. The second stanza shifts to human figures, depicting young maidens venturing out during the spring festival to gather mulberry leaves and play herb-matching games. Here, lively outward expressions blend with subtle psychological touches, capturing the girls’ childlike joy. Though the poem never directly describes the "herb-matching" game itself, it conveys the characters’ delight and spring’s abundance through a dream-reality contrast, leaving much to the imagination.

Artistic Merits

• Folkloric Themes, Rich in Lived Experience: Set against the backdrop of spring festival customs and herb-matching games, it naturally integrates the seasonal activities of ancient maidens, offering authenticity and playful appeal.
• Scene-Character Fusion, Tight Structure: The first stanza depicts scenery, the second focuses on people—scenery sets the mood, emotions arise from the scene, progressing seamlessly in organic harmony.
• Lucid Language, Soft Tone: The poem’s diction is bright and effortless, narrated with light subtlety, embodying the signature "Yan-style" brilliance and classical grace.
• Exquisite Psychological Nuance: Through the portrayal of a maiden’s dream and smile, it vividly renders her innocence, brimming with lifelike vitality.

Insights

This lyric poem unveils the everyday beauty of ancient folk festivals, reminding modern readers to slow down and savor life’s rhythms and nature’s gifts. Simultaneously, it teaches creators that the most moving verses need not rely on grand themes—sometimes, a fleeting moment from ordinary life, when finely crafted, can convey profound emotion and ethereal beauty.

Poem Translator

Xu Yuanchong (许渊冲)

About the Poet

Yan Shu (晏殊 991 – 1055)​​ Originaire de Fuzhou dans le Jiangxi, Yan Shu fut le maître fondateur de l'école wanyue (élégante et retenue) de la poésie ci sous les Song du Nord. Enfant prodige entré dans l'administration à quatorze ans, ses ci allient noblesse classique et méditation philosophique dissimulée sous des évocations de prospérité raffinée. Mentor de talents comme Fan Zhongyan et Ouyang Xiu, il initia l'École du Jiangxi en poésie ci et posa les bases de l'épuration du genre sous les Song.