Birthday poem · February 20Rain Water, the 2nd solar term: snow gives way to rain.

Birthday poem card for February 20: “Bamboo Branch Song” by Liu Yuxi. Birth character 歌, song.

Birth character

歌 gē · song

歌 combines 欠, an open mouth, with 哥 as a sound element; it means to sing, or a song.

忽聞岸上踏歌聲
“When suddenly on shore footsteps and songs o'erflow.” — Li Bai, ‘For Wang Lun’

Other dates with this poem: May 7

The poem

“Bamboo Branch Song” 竹枝詞

  1. 楊柳青青江水平Willows green, green, the river water level;
  2. 聞郎江上唱歌聲I hear my sweetheart singing on the river.
  3. 東邊日出西邊雨Sun rising in the east, rain in the west —
  4. 道是無晴却有晴you'd say it isn't clear, and yet it's clear.

Liu Yuxi 劉禹錫 · Tang dynasty · 772–842 · seven-character verse

English translation by Poetune.

Why this poem

Liu Yuxi in folk-song style; "clear weather" (qing) puns on "love" (qing).

This day in the Chinese calendar

Solar term: Rain Water.

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