I'm saddened by the courtyard peonies brilliant red,
At dusk only two of them are left on their bed.
I am afraid they can't survive the morning blast,
By lantern light I take a look at the long, long last.
Original Poem:
「惜牡丹花 · 其一」
白居易
惆怅阶前红牡丹,晚来唯有两枝残。
明朝风起应吹尽,夜惜衰红把火看。
Interpretation:
Bai Juyi's poem, however, is unique among the countless poems about cherishing flowers.
In the first two lines, the poet looks at the red peonies in front of the steps with despondency, and when evening comes, there are still only two branches of the peonies in ruins.
The poet's sadness, the elegance of the courtyard and the red color of the peonies are all clear. In the second line, however, the tone changes, emphasizing that when the evening comes, there are only two broken branches, and the reader realizes that the peonies are still in full bloom in the courtyard. The tone of “only” is sure, and the number is exact, which shows the poet's meticulousness in appreciating the flowers. Only by carefully counting all the branches of the flowers can he arrive at such a precise conclusion, which shows that the poet cherishes the flowers deeply.
The last two lines: Tomorrow morning when the gale comes up, all the flowers should be blown away, and at night I feel compassion for these weakened but reddish flowers, and take a torch to see the peonies.
Since there were only two branches of peonies in the courtyard, it seemed that there was no need to be so despondent, but a leaf knows autumn, not to mention that there were still two branches. The poet saw the news of spring's return from the two broken flowers, and his worry was not superfluous. The sky is unpredictable, has bloomed to the full bloom of the flowers at any time will be destroyed by the wind and rain. Then, while the flowers have not yet been blown away by the wind, get up at night to put the fire to see the flowers, is also equal to prolong the life of the flowers. What's more, under the light of the flickering fire, the dying peony becomes more and more red and charming, and that beautiful and sad scene has its own flavor that cannot be appreciated in the daytime.
The whole poem has taken several turns, and the poet's love for flowers has been expressed to the fullest extent.
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.