On the Bamboo by the Pond

On the Bamboo by the Pond

Its sturdy stalks shade sinuous steps;

Its green foliage defies freezing frosts.

Stroking the windows, it casts dragon shadows;

Standing by the pond, it awaits the flying phoenix.

The author Li Shimin, a military commander, poet and calligrapher, was the second emperor of the Tang Dynasty, ushering in a golden age of the ancient empire.

ln ancient China, the dragon symbolized the emperor's power, and the arrival of the phoenix was deemed an auspicious sign for the sovereign and the state.