Birthday poem · January 1New Year's Day, in the Winter Solstice period.
Birth character
豐 fēng · abundance
豐 first described a ritual vessel filled to the top; it means abundant, and a good harvest.
稻花香裏說豐年
“Amid the scent of rice flowers, talk of a bumper year” — Xin Qiji, ‘West River Moon’
The poem
“New Year's Day on the Farm” 田家元日
- 昨夜斗回北Last night the Dipper's handle turned to the north;
- 今朝歲起東this morning the new year rises in the east.
- 田家占氣候The farm folk read the signs of weather,
- 共說此年豐and all agree: this year will be abundant.
Why this poem
Meng Haoran on farmers reading the New Year's Day weather to forecast the harvest.
This day in the Chinese calendar
Solar term: Winter Solstice. Near New Year's Day.