Mar 19, 2006

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Hi, friends, is spring coming to you and your country? On my side, flowers are everywhere.   So, today, I would like to introduce a new Chinese classical poem about spring You Yuan Bu Zhi --Visiting a Garden Was Not Available by Song Dynasty (960 - 1279)poet Ye Shaoweng(1194 -- ?).

Ye Shaoweng was a small official in the Song Dynasty (960-1279) and a poet. he was very good at Jue Ju of Seven Words. This poem is his representative works and be famous until now.

The best part of this poem is its last two lines: " full spring scenery in the garden can not be closed, a branch of red apricot flowers has come out of the wall", so, I have translated its title as: Full Spring Scenery in the Garden Can Not Be Closed .

As usual, I have written a peace of music to match this poem and hope you enjoy it.

MAIN MEANING OF THE PEOM:

Maybe for the host cherishes the lichen
and does not want it is marked trace
by my clogs,
the door of branch wood does not open
even though I lightly knocked on it
for a long time.
Full spring scenery
can not be closed
by the garden,
a branch of red apricot flowers
has come out of the wall...

NEW WORDSLISTEN TO SHIRLEY SINGING THE POEM :

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

CHINESE CHARACTERS AND PRONUNCIATION:

游园不值

叶绍翁

应怜屐齿印苍台，
小扣柴扉久不开，
满园春色关不住，
一枝红杏出墙来。


ATTACH::

Another Chinese Version and Translation :

Because this poem has a history for about 800 years, so, there are some different versions during the process that it was come down to us from Song Dynasty, for helping you to understand it and I would like to offer you more information below:

游园不值

叶绍翁

应嫌屐齿印苍苔，
十扣柴扉九不开。
春色满园关不住，
一支红杏出墙来。

It is proper to hate the marks of shoes
on the green moss,
Of ten that knock at his brushwood gate nine
can not have it opened.
Spring’s colors fill the garden
but cannot all be contained,
For one spray of red almond-blossom
peeps out from the wall.

This is a very famous poem to admire the spring. The poet went to visit a friend and could not be available, when he was disappointed, he found a branch of red blossomed apricot was coming out of the wall -- it seems like he had seen the beautiful view via a branch of flowers...

Then, there are many people have made it more and more meanings. Some people gave it more positive meanings:

1. The beautiful things can not be closed as the spring scenery in the garden.

2. The fresh things can not be closed as the spring scenery in the garden.

Also some people have given it a meaning from negative. "Hong Xing Chu Qiang" is also used to point a woman who has an affair. So, when you use the words: a branch of red blossomed apricot has come out of the wall, you have to be careful.

In my opinion that, when a literature works gave its readers more imaginations and thoughts, it would be a good one. Do you think so?

LISTEN TO SHIRLEY SINGING 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, Translated and Recorded On Sat, March 18, 2006