Birthday poem · May 24Grain Buds, the 8th solar term: wheat and barley begin to fill.
Birth character
綠 lǜ · green
綠 combines 糸 "silk" with a sound element; it first meant green-dyed silk, then green.
萬條垂下綠絲絛
“A thousand branches droop like fringes made of jade.” — He Zhizhang, ‘Ode to the Willow’
Other dates with this poem: July 23
The poem
“Early Summer” 初夏卽事
- 石梁茅屋有彎碕A stone bridge, a thatched house, a curving shore;
- 流水濺濺度兩陂the flowing water babbles across two ponds.
- 晴日暖風生麥氣Sunny days and warm winds bring the scent of wheat;
- 綠陰幽草勝花時green shade and quiet grass are better than the flower season.
Why this poem
Wang Anshi on early summer: green shade and grass are better than flowers.
This day in the Chinese calendar
Solar term: Grain Buds.