Tang poems 唐诗 >> 咏柳
贺知章 (Hè Zhīzhāng) 唐朝 Tang Dynasty
Bì yù zhuāng chéng yī shù gāo,
wàn tiáo chuí xià lǜ sī tāo.
碧玉妆成一树高，
万条垂下绿丝绦。
Bù zhī xì yè shuí cái chū,
èr yuè chūn fēng shì jiǎn dāo.
不知细叶谁裁出，
二月春风似剪刀。
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贺知章：He Zhizhang (659–744) was a Chinese poet and scholar-official of the Tang dynasty.
- 咏柳：Ode to the Willow
- 碧玉：green jade
- 妆成：dress up
- 一树高：to the top of the tree
- 万条：thousands of branches
- 垂下：droop down
- 绿丝绦：green silk ribbons
- 不知：I don't know
- 细叶：thin leaves
- 谁：who
- 裁出：cut out
- 二月：February
- 春风：spring breeze
- 似：like
- 剪刀：scissors
The willow tree in early spring looks like it is dressed up with green jade.
Thousands of branches droop low, like green silk ribbons.
Which fine tailor cut out such delicate thin leaves?
The spring breeze of February was just like scissors.