日日采莲去
Each day they go to gather lotus;
洲长多暮归
The long islet means they often return at dusk.
弄篙莫溅水
Mind the pole: do not splash the water,
畏湿红莲衣
For fear of wetting the lotus-red clothes.
What the poem means
Lotus gatherers often return late from the long river islet. One warns against splashing with the pole, hoping to keep the red clothes dry. A small practical concern makes the scene lively.
Meet the poet
Wang Wei was a Tang poet celebrated for poems of landscape and rural life.
Wang Wei · More poems →