West Lake e early after rain

Introducion:

It is generally believed that West lake in Hangzhou looks most beautiful and fascinating to the tourist only on sunny days.   

 

Text:

饮湖上初晴雨后

苏轼(宋)

 

shuǐ guāng liàn yàn qíng fāng hǎo，shān sè kōng méng yǔ yì qí。

水   光   潋  滟    晴   方   好，  山  色   空  濛   雨亦奇。

yù bǎ xī hú bǐ xī zǐ， nóng zhuāng dàn mǒ zǒng xiāng yí。

欲 把   西湖 比   西子，浓 妆 淡  抹   总  相  宜。

 

Drinking on the Lake When First Appears the Sun Then Comes the Rain

Su Shi (Song)

 

So charming are the shimmering waves in sunshiny beams,

And wonderous too the hazy mountains in the rainy gleams.

If we compare the Lake of West to the Maiden fair,

Equally fit for her will be either light painting or rich wear.

 

Comment

It is generally believed that West lake in Hangzhou looks most beautiful and fascinating to the tourist only on sunny days. The poet, however, thinks otherwise, presenting as particularly marvelous and charming the rainy lake with the hazy mountains around. Then he goes on to personify the Lake by comparing it to Xishi, a fair maiden, that is, the lake always appears beautiful and delicate in all weather, rain or shine. The poem endows the reader with much imagination and illusiveness through the ingenious account of the variable but eternal beauty of West Lake.