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Shān Yuán Xiǎo MéiLittle Plum in the Mountain Garden 山园小梅

Lin Bu (林逋, also known as )｜Northern Song｜seven-character regulated verse

Lin Bu on plum blossom: sparse shadows on clear water, faint scent at dusk.

Original Chinese text with pinyin

众芳摇落独暄妍
zhòng fāng yáo luò dú xuān yán

占尽风情向小园
zhàn jǐn fēng qíng xiàng xiǎo yuán

疎影横斜水清浅
shū yǐng héng xié shuǐ qīng qiǎn

暗香浮动月黄昏
àn xiāng fú dòng yuè huáng hūn

Simplified characters; traditional title: 山園小梅. This is a long poem; only the best-known lines are shown, and “……” marks omitted passages.

Note on the text: This page presents a well-known excerpt; the full poem is longer in the traditional corpus.

When all other flowers have fallen, it alone blooms bright,

claiming all the charm of the little garden.

Sparse shadows slant across clear, shallow water;

a hidden fragrance drifts in the moonlit dusk.

Original translation by Poetune — literal but poetic, written for this site.

众芳摇落独暄妍 · zhòng fāng yáo luò dú xuān yán — When all other flowers have fallen, it alone blooms bright,

占尽风情向小园 · zhàn jǐn fēng qíng xiàng xiǎo yuán — claiming all the charm of the little garden.

疎影横斜水清浅 · shū yǐng héng xié shuǐ qīng qiǎn — Sparse shadows slant across clear, shallow water;

暗香浮动月黄昏 · àn xiāng fú dòng yuè huáng hūn — a hidden fragrance drifts in the moonlit dusk.

Lin Bu on plum blossom: sparse shadows on clear water, faint scent at dusk. The scene stays with you.

Lin Bu on plum blossom: sparse shadows on clear water, faint scent at dusk.

Lin Bu lived as a West Lake recluse; his plum poem is classic.

Lifetime: 967–1028. Other famous works: Little Plum in the Mountain Garden (山园小梅).