He zhangzhi

Jasper tree height ①, ten thousand strands of moss tapestry hanging ②.

I don't know who cut off the thin leaves, but the spring breeze in February is like scissors.

Word annotation

(1) Jasper: turquoise jade. Here is a metaphor for the bright green willow leaves in spring. Make-up: Decorate. A tree: full of trees. One, full, full. Quantifiers in ancient Chinese don't necessarily mean exact numbers, but "10,000" in the next sentence means a lot.

⑵ Green silk tapestry (tāo): green ribbon. Describe the wicker is graceful. Taenia, a rope woven with silk.

(3) cutting: cutting.

(4) like: like, like.

Vernacular translation

Tall willows are like jasper piles, and soft branches are like thousands of green ribbons floating down.

I don't know who cut this green leaf with dexterous hands. The spring breeze in February is like a clever pair of scissors.

Creation background

In the third year of Tianbao reign of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty (744), He Zhangzhi returned to his hometown and the officials saw him off. He took a boat through Nanjing and Hangzhou and arrived in Xiaoshan County along Xiaoshaoguan River. Yue officials met him at the post office, and then took a boat to his old house by the Panshui River outside the south gate. At this time, it was the early spring of February, willow buds sprouted, spring was full, and the breeze blew on my face. He is like a bird out of the cage, and he is naturally very happy when he returns to his hometown. He wrote this poem on the spot.