Spring in Jiangnan
Across the land, orioles sing among green leaves and red flowers;
In waterside villages and mountain towns, wine-shop banners stir.
Temples from the Southern Dynasties stand in their hundreds;
How many towers are veiled in misty rain?
Notes
Yīng is an oriole. A wine-shop banner marked an establishment serving wine. The Southern Dynasties refers to four successive dynasties in southern China; “480” is commonly read as suggesting a large number, not a precise count. Misty rain softens the distant view.
Meaning
Birdsong, spring colors and banners fill the wide Jiangnan landscape. In the misty rain, the poet sees temple buildings associated with the Southern Dynasties.
Appreciation
The poem opens a wide spring landscape, moving from birdsong and bright colors to temple buildings in misty rain.
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Its first half combines sound, red and green, waterside villages and banners moving in the wind. The scene seems to extend from place to place.
The second half turns to temple towers. Their outlines in the rain add a quieter, more distant layer to the scene; the number is commonly read as an expression of abundance.
Read together by finding one sound, one color and one moving object in the poem, then imagine a tower half hidden by rain.
About the poet
Du Mu (803–852), courtesy name Muzhi, was a Tang poet and official from the area of present-day Xi’an. His works include Mountain Journey, Spring in Jiangnan and the prose-poem Efang Palace.
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Life: Du Mu held posts in the Yangzhou area and later served in regional offices, including Huangzhou and Chizhou.
Works: Alongside Qingming, his well-known writing includes Mountain Journey, Spring in Jiangnan and Efang Palace.
Sources
Poem and reading reference: Shicile · Poet biography reference · poems-db
Translation and explanations by Poetry Buds; review ongoing.