稚子金盆脱晓冰
At dawn, a child lifts ice from a metal basin,
彩丝穿取当银钲
Threads it with colored silk as a little gong.
敲成玉磬穿林响
Its clear notes ring through the woods,
忽作玻璃碎地声
Then suddenly it falls and shatters.
What the poem means
A child lifts ice from a basin and hangs it on colored thread as a gong. Clear notes ring out, then the ice suddenly falls and breaks.
Meet the poet
Yang Wanli was a Song poet who found lively details in plants, birds and small changes in nature.
Yang Wanli · More poems →