偶步西廊下
I stroll beneath the western corridor.
幽兰一朵开
A quiet orchid has opened a flower.
是谁先报信
Who was first to spread the news?
便有蜜蜂来
Already a bee has come!
What the poem means
On a casual stroll, the poet notices an orchid and a visiting bee. He playfully asks who told the bee that the flower had opened.
Meet the poet
Yuan Mei was a Qing poet who found poetry in small, everyday discoveries.
Yuan Mei · More poems →