碧玉妆成一树高
Like green jade, the tall willow is dressed;
万条垂下绿丝绦
Countless green silk ribbons hang down.
不知细叶谁裁出
Who has cut these slender leaves?
二月春风似剪刀
The spring breeze of the second month is like scissors.
What the poem means
The willow looks dressed in green jade, its hanging branches like silk ribbons. Who cut the delicate leaves? The poet imagines the spring breeze as scissors.
Meet the poet
He Zhizhang was a Tang poet who made spring scenery vivid through comparison.
He Zhizhang · More poems →