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Hi, friends, today -- Jan 28, is Eve of Chinese New Year. Tomorrow will be Chinese New Year's Day. So, I would like to introduce a Chinese classical poem Yuan Ri -- Chinese New Year's Day by Song Dynasty poet Wang Anshi.

Wang Anshi(1021 - 1086) was a great politician, ideologist, litterateur and a great prime minister in Song Dynasty and Chinese history. :-)

Wang Anshi was from a little official family and had a good education. So, he was a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations in 1042 when he was 21 years old, then he became a great prime minister later. :-)

Wang Anshi cared the suffering of people and insisted to reform something bad and reduced the burden of people.   

He thought that literature should work for the reality and his essays made the highest accomplishment then and he was listed to be one of the Eight Great Masters. Also he wrote some good poems and lyrics works.

This poem writes the jollification, delight and fresh view on New Year's Day.

For helping you to know something more about Chinese New Year -- Spring Festival, I have written two essays for you this week. One is The Main Custom Of Spring Fasitval, the other is
How To Make Greetings During Chinese New Year -- Spring Festival and hope they are helpful.


MAIN MEANING OF THE POEM:

Chinese New Year's Day

Wang Anshi (Song Dynasty)

One year has past
in the sounds of delight firecracker,
Spring wind is sending the warm
to the Tusu drink.
Thousands and thousands families
are bathed in the bright sunlight,
They are always changing the old peach wood charms,
to be new ones by their doors...   

NEW WORDS

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

CHINESES CHARACTERS AND PRONUNCIATION:

元日

王安石

爆竹声中一岁除 -- bàozhú shēngzhōng yīshuì chú,
春风送暖入屠苏 -- chūnfēng sòng nuǎn rù túshū；
千门万户??日 -- qiānmén wànhù tóngtóng rì,
总把新桃换旧符 -- zǒng bǎ xīntáo huàn jiùfú。


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 and Recorded On Sat, Jan 28, 2006