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Poetry library / Summer shade and breezes / Waking from an Early-Summer Nap · 1
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Waking from an Early-Summer Nap · 1

闲居初夏午睡起·其一 · Yang Wanli · 宋

Chinese · Pinyin · English
梅méi子zi留liú酸suān软ruǎn齿chǐ牙yá

Plums leave a sour softness in my teeth;

芭bā蕉jiāo分fēn绿lǜ与yǔ窗chuāng纱shā

Banana leaves lend their green to the window gauze.

日rì长cháng睡shuì起qǐ无wú情qíng思sī

Waking on a long day, with no wish to be busy,

闲xián看kàn儿ér童tóng捉zhuō柳liǔ花huā

I idly watch children catching willow fluff.

Meaning

Plums leave a sour feeling on the teeth, and banana leaves seem to tint the window gauze green. Waking from a nap with nothing urgent to do, the poet watches children chasing willow fluff.

About the poet

Yang Wanli was a Song poet who found lively details in plants, birds and small changes in nature.

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