Birthday poem · July 24Major Heat, the 12th solar term: the hottest time of the year.
Birth character
柳 liǔ · willow
柳 combines 木 "tree" with a sound element; it means willow.
客舍青青柳色新
“The willows by the tavern look so fresh and green.” — Wang Wei, ‘Farewell to Yuan Er on His Mission to Anxi’
Other dates with this poem: May 16
The poem
“Waking from an Early-Summer Nap” 閑居初夏午睡起
- 梅子留酸軟齒牙Plums leave a sourness that softens the teeth;
- 芭蕉分綠與窗紗banana leaves share their green with the window gauze.
- 日長睡起無情思The days are long; I wake from a nap with nothing on my mind,
- 閑看兒童捉柳花and idly watch the children chasing willow fluff.
Why this poem
Yang Wanli wakes from an early summer nap and watches children catch willow fluff.
This day in the Chinese calendar
Solar term: Major Heat.