Home › Poems › Ode to the Willow
Yǒng LiǔOde to the Willow 咏柳
He Zhizhang's spring wind that cuts willow leaves like scissors.
Original Chinese text with pinyin
碧玉妆成一树高
bì yù zhuāng chéng yī shù gāo
万条垂下绿丝绦
wàn tiáo chuí xià lǜ sī tāo
不知细叶谁裁出
bù zhī xì yè shuí cái chū
二月春风似剪刀
èr yuè chūn fēng shì jiǎn dāo
Simplified characters; traditional title: 詠柳.
English translation
The slender beauty's dressed in emerald all about;
A thousand branches droop like fringes made of jade.
But do you know by whom these slim leaves are cut out?
The wind of early spring is sharp as scissor blade.
Original translation by Poetune — literal but poetic, written for this site.
Line by line
Meaning and imagery
The willow becomes a young woman dressed in jade green with silk ribbons. The question in the third line leads to the playful answer — the spring wind is a pair of scissors that cut every tiny leaf. The comparison is unexpected and perfect, turning an invisible wind into a craftsman.
Background
A well-known poem taught in Chinese primary schools. The "second month" in the lunar calendar is roughly March.
Key words
- 碧玉 bì yù
- green jade
- 丝绦 sī tāo
- silk ribbons
- 剪刀 jiǎn dāo
- scissors
About the poet: He Zhizhang
He Zhizhang was a senior court scholar known for his wit and love of wine; he is said to have given Li Bai the nickname "a banished immortal." He retired home to Zhejiang in his eighties.
Lifetime: 659–744. Other famous works: Ode to the Willow (咏柳); Coming Home (回乡偶书).