In late spring grows the orchid good,
How luxuriant are its leaves green!
Alone it adorns empty wood
With red blooms and violet stems lean.
Slowly, slowly shortens the day;
Rippling, rippling blows autumn breeze.
By the year's end it fades away.
What has become of it fragrance, please?
Original Poem:
「感遇诗三十八首 · 其二」
陈子昂
兰若生春夏，芊蔚何青青！
幽独空林色，朱蕤冒紫茎。
迟迟白日晚，嫋嫋秋风生。
岁华尽摇落，芳意竟何成？
Interpretation:
This is the second poem written by Chen Zi'ang, with the main theme of lamenting the life and times and politics. The poem compares itself with the orchid grass Du Ruo, and sends out the personal feeling of the life and times.
The first two lines: The orchid grass Du Ruo grows in spring and summer, with lush stems and leaves. It is elegant, lonely and unique in the beauty of the forest, with red flowers drooping down and covering the purple stems of the plant.
Orchid is not like the chrysanthemum, head high and angry, pretentious; not like peony, such as makeup, opulent. Orchid Ruoh has red flowers, purple stems and green leaves, making it elegant and graceful. The poet praises Lanruo's superiority in color and contrasts Lanruo's outstanding style with the loss of color of the flowers, which shows the meaning of the poem of appreciating one's own beauty.
The last four lines: the day is slowly getting shorter, the curling autumn wind has quietly come. The grasses and trees that blossom once a year are swaying and falling, how can the good will be accomplished after all?
From summer to autumn, the days are getting shorter and shorter, and the autumn wind is cold but not cold, however, the autumn wind is not peaceful, and the fragrant flowers are naturally withering away. The flowers wither away, and the cold light of the day is so powerful that it is full of the feeling of a beauty in her twilight years. In the end, the poet uses the withering of flowers and plants to lament the loss of his own years and the destruction of his ideals.
Compared with the works of moon and wind, this poem is extraordinarily full and fresh, just like the fragrant orchid, exuding a tantalizing fragrance.
Poem translator:
Kiang Kanghu
In 659 A.D., Chen Zi'ang(陈子昂) was born in Shehong, Zizhou, a wealthy landowning family of a commoner clan. From childhood, he developed the character of a noble family's son who was chivalrous and made his temper. At the same time, he was concerned about national affairs and wanted to make political achievements.
