At a Mansion in the South of the Capital

At a Mansion in the South of the Capital

Author: Cui Hu (birth and death years unknown)

Exactly a year ago behind this gate,

Peach blossoms were as pink as her face.

Today I wonder where she is;

Still, peach blossoms smile at the spring winds they embrace.

Cui was a Tang Dynasty (618—907) government official. His political career was lacklustre compared with the brilliance of his poetry. Six of his poems are included in A Complete Anthology of Tang Dynasty Poetry.

One of the reasons why this poem is so widely known may be that it actually illustrates a universal experience of life: we might encounter something beautiful without expectation, and if we deliberately look for it, we may never find it.