Cave Fairies’ Song

Author: Su Shi (1037—1101)

Icy flesh and jade-like bones keep cool without perspiration.

Breezes fill the waterfront court with subtle fragrances in motion.

Embroidered curtains open for the bright moon to peek at the lady,

Awake, with messy hair unclipped against the pillow and cushion.

He takes her fair hand to bring her up

Into a silent courtyard

To watch scattered stars crossing the Milky Way in succession.

How late is the night?

It is past midnight,

With golden moonlight fading, and a star lowering in rotation.

They count with fingers to predict when west winds will be coming

While years have passed secretly without their realization

The following poem is about lotus flowers, which bloom in August and carry two symbolic meanings in Chinese culture. First, lotus flowers “grow in the mud but are not stained,” as Zhou Dunyi (周敦颐, 1017—1073), a Song Dynasty scholar, puts it in his essay, “What’s to Love about Lotus Flowers”(爱莲说). The essay has made lotus flowers a symbol of purity and integrity in Chinese literature. Besides, many Chinese Buddhists view lotus flowers as a symbol of Nirvana, which is the highest goal of Buddhism, a transcendent state free from all forms of suffering. 

Copyright: A Poetic Portal To Chinese Culture, China Pictorial Press

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