On vernal day no flowers were in bloom, alas!
In second moon I'm glad to see the budding grass.
But white snow dislikes the late coming vernal breeze,
It plays the parting flowers flying through the trees.
Original Poem:
「春雪」
韩愈
新年都未有芳华，二月初惊见草芽。
白雪却嫌春色晚，故穿庭树作飞花。
Interpretation:
This poem is actually written about the poet's expectation of spring, a piece of spring color in nature when there is no spring color, rich in strong romanticism.
The first two lines of the poem are as follows: I couldn't see any fragrant flowers in the New Year, but I was surprised to find new shoots of grass at the beginning of February.
New Year is the first day of the first month of the lunar calendar, around this day is the spring, so it marks the arrival of spring. There are no fragrant flowers in the New Year, which makes people who have been looking forward to the spring color in the long cold winter very anxious, and the poem reveals this anxious mood.
In the last two lines, the snow is too late for spring, and is deliberately turned into flowers to fly through the trees in the courtyard.
On the surface is to say that there is snow but no flowers, the actual feeling is: people can still wait for the late spring color, from the February grass buds to see the figure of spring, but the snow can't wait for, even have to flurry, through the trees flying flowers, decorate a faction of their own spring color. The real spring color did not come, of course, inevitably feel some regret, but this wear trees and flowers of spring snow does not also give people the breath of spring! Poet on the spring snow and flowers is not mainly melancholy, regret, but full of joy. A poet looking forward to spring, if nature has not yet spring color, he can visualize a piece of spring color.
This poem expresses a profound feeling from the perspective of the spring snowflakes: all things have spirituality, they can turn the spring cold into a springtime, and turn the cold sentiment into a spirit of optimism in the form of an abundance of vitality.
Poem translator:
Xu Yuan-chong (许渊冲)
About the poet:
Han Yu (韩愈), 768 - 824 AD, was a native of Luoyang. Orphaned at the age of three, he was raised by his sister-in-law and was later admitted as a scholar. Han Yu's poems strive to be innovative and majestic, with a unique style that had a great influence on Song poetry writing.
