Jul 17, 2006

LISTEN TO THE TEXTLISTEN TO SHIRLEY PLAY & SING THE POEM


Hi, friends, today, I would like to introduce a new Chinese classical poem Wang Chun -- Late Spring by Tang Dynasty(618 - 907) poet Hai Yu (768 - 827).

This poem is famous for it has given people a lot of inspirations via writing a beautiful natural phenomenon in the late spring with a simple language -- Grass and trees know that the spring will go back soon, they are contending for the brightness with their most beautiful colors, sweetest fragrance and all of the features. Catkin and elm seeds have no much imaginative power and creativeness, they only know to fly in the all over the sky as snow...

To the simple words, different people will have different understanding because of their different life experiences and backgrounds.

We can understand this poem is admiring the smart of the   grass and trees -- they know to do their best to bring people a most beautiful spring, and to tease the catkin and elm seeds -- they are only flying in the sky as snow and do not know how to show the world something more beautiful.

We can also understand this poem not only admiring the grass and trees, but also it is admiring the catkin and elm seeds -- they are doing their best to accompany the grass and the trees, to serve as a foil to outstand the beautiful of the grass and trees with their white small flowers the sky... just as some little people to serve as a foil to outstand the "big people"...

To the people who are very positive, maybe they would like to learn the grass and the trees to catch their limited time to live and work, to make their lives are bright and beautiful as much as possible. To the people who are in the different life attitudes, maybe they would like to learn the catkin and elm seeds that never care for the matter things, such as money and positions in the world, but just flying over the high sky to see the entire world, to see how the others are living there...

I think, if you know that the poet Han Yu is the greatest ideologist in Tang Dynasty, then you will not feel surprised why his a little poem, can bring us so many understandings...

I have created a piece of music to match it and I do hope that my poem comments, music and singing will be a little bit help to you to know more about Chinese culture and your Chinese language learning... :-)

MAIN MEANING OF THE POEMLISTEN TO SHIRLEY PLAY & SING THE POEM :

Grass and trees know that the spring will go back soon,
They are contending for the brightness with their most beautiful colors, sweetest fragrance and all of the features.
Catkin and elm seeds have no much imaginative power and creativeness,
they know only to fly in the all over the sky as white snow...


NEW WORDS AND RONUNCIATION :

Please hit any Chinese character that you need helped, to see its Chinese pinyin, pronunciation, and meaning and follow me to read it.

CHINESE CHARACTERS :


晚春

韩愈 （唐）
　
草木知春不久归，
百般红紫斗芳菲。
杨花榆荚无才思，
惟解漫天作雪飞。


LISTEN TO SHIRLEY PLAY & SING THE POEM :

If you have any questions, comments and suggestions, please write to shirley@ebridge.cn , or shirleyz004@yahoo.com, You are welcomed to publish your opinions in Forum For Friends as well.
--Shirley
Written, Sung, Translated and Recorded on Sun, July 16, 2006