Listen to Shirley Singing the Poem in Chinese Jan 1, 2012Listen to Shirley Singing the Poem in English Sun Jan 1,2012 Listen to Shirley Reading the Poem in Chinese Jan ,2012 Listen to Shirley Introducing the Poet & Commenting the Poem Jan ,2012 Learn the Meaning of the Poem with Shirley TogetherShirley Created Picture for the Poem Jan 1, 2012Shirley Created Picture for the Poem Shirley Created Picture for the Poem 
Hi, friends, today, I would like to introduce a new Chinese classical poem
Hui Chong Chun Jiang Wan Jing ? Ducks Know the River Water Gets Warm First in the Spring by the greatest poet in Song Dynasty (960-1279) -- Su Shi(1037－1101).
Su Shi was from Mei Shan. He was the greatest litterateur for his outstanding achievement on poetry, lyrics and essays in North Song (960 --1126). He was also a great calligraphist, famous artist and a good official.
In poetry field, he had a very famous reputation as Huang Tingjian and be called "Su and Huan" in Chinese poetry history.
In lyrics field, Su Shi created the highest achievement no matter on the content and form in North Song. He was the founder of the poetry genre of "the Bold and Unconstrained Poetry Genre". Both of Su Shi and the other greatest poet Xing Qiji in South Song (1126 - 1279) were called "Su and Xing".
In essay field, Su Shi wrote very good dissertation. He is one of the Tang and Song Eight Greatest Masters. He had a same good reputation as Ou Yangxiu and be called "Ou and Su"
As a calligraphist, he was famous for his running hand and regular script.
As a painter, bamboo was his favorite thing to paint.
Su Shi was not only famous on the writing, painting and handwriting, but also he had his own literature and art theory. He emphasized that literature should be unique, expressive force and art value.
He has passed for about 900 years, but, he has left us more than 4000 poems, about 340 lyrics and many essays in the world.
This poem was written on a painting that named Chun Jian Wan Jing --The Evening View by a Buddhist monk and artist Hui Chong, with several short lines; it has "painted" a beautiful picture of the early spring view in the south area of the Yangtze River.
I am sure that in China, instead of remembering the title of the poem, most of people remember the famous line in the poem: "Chun jian shui nuan ya xian zhi -- ducks know the river water gets warm first in the spring.” Therefore, I have used it as the title of my translation of this poem. :-)
On Feb 25, 2005, I created a piece of music to match it and today, on the New Year's Day 2012, I created a painting for the poem and sang it for you. I do hope that my effort will be some help with you to learn Chinese language and culture.
Main Meaning of the Poem Out of the bamboo grove, there're several branches of peach blossoms,
Ducks know the river water gets warm first in the spring.
Wormwood herb is everywhere, reeds' buds are short，
It is the time that fugu will be in the market...
Chinese Characters & Pronunciation:
You can clink any Chinese Character to open the New Character Board and to see its Chinese pinyin, meaning, pronunciation and follow me to read them, also, you can hit the links over to enter the Painting Column, to read my painting for the poem 惠崇春江晚景 -- Huì Chóng Chūn Jiāng Wǎn Jǐng
苏轼 -- Sū Shì
竹外桃花三两枝 -- Zhú wài táohuā sān liǎng zhī,
春江水暖鸭先知 -- chūn jiāng shuǐ nuǎn yā xiān zhī。
蒌蒿满地芦芽短 -- Lóugāo mǎn dì lúyá duǎn,
正是河豚欲上时 -- zhèng shì hétún yù shàng shí。
If you have any questions, comments and suggestions, please write to
shirley@ebridge.cn , or
shirleyz004@yahoo.com, You are welcome.
Shirley ZhangWritten, Sung, Translated & Recorded on Feb 25, 2005 / Sep, 16, 2007 / Jan 1, 2012
