门外无人问落花
Outside the gate no one asks after fallen blossoms;
绿阴冉冉遍天涯
Green shade slowly spreads toward the horizon.
林莺啼到无声处
The woodland oriole sings until it falls silent;
青草池塘独听蛙
Alone I hear frogs by the grassy pond.
What the poem means
Late-spring blossoms lie by an empty gate while green shade spreads. When the oriole falls silent, frogs by the grassy pond take over the soundscape. Leaves and new sounds mark the changing season.
Meet the poet
Cao Bin was a Song poet. Falling blossoms, growing shade and changing sounds reveal late spring.
Cao Bin · More poems →