The best spring begins when orioles start to sing
Chinese original: Su Shi (11th AC, social name 'Zizhan', art name 'Dongpo')
English translation & annotation: Julia Min (Aug. 2024)
The best spring begins when orioles start to sing,
A warm embrace, attuned to the drizzling rain.
The winter lawn awakens to a green impression，
Obvious afar, obscure anear, the promise of spring.
Let your young heart get drunk in her charm again.
Let your eyes feast on the busted buds unfolding.
Her golden glory waits for no man behind,
That’ll lament to see her weakened and fallen.
Appreciation:
This is a very descriptive poem Su Shi sent to his brother on his way to a new post in February 1063, likely just after the Chinese New Year when he had to say goodbye to his family and his young brother. He was only 28, going to 30 soon. This poem was perhaps his first sigh on his young days leaving him to maturity, to more social responsibilities.
The first stanza on scenery brings us a joyful early spring with the twitting golden orioles, the misty warm drizzle, and the subtle changes on the lawn. The second stanza expresses his appreciation on the promise of spring, but also his awareness that his spring days were fleeting, so he urged his brother to cherish every beautiful moment.
While enjoying translating this poem in the early spring of Melbourne, my mind started roaming her way to William Wordsworth’s “Lines Written in Early Spring” and “Daffodils” written when he was 28 and 32 years of age.
减字木兰花.莺初解语
原作: 苏轼（字子瞻, 号东坡居士; 11世纪北宋）
英译及赏析: 闵晓红(2024.08)
莺初解语，最是一年春好处。
微雨如酥，草色远看近却无。
休辞醉倒，花不看开人易老。
莫待春回，颠倒红英间绿苔。
Reference:
picture from 个人图书馆360doc.com徐你一世
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