What are the classic poems describing crabapple flowers?
The crabapple flower has a graceful posture, and when it blooms it is like brocade. Since ancient times it has been a famous flower enjoyed by both refined and popular tastes, long known as the “immortal among flowers,” the “imperial consort among flowers,” and the “noble one among flowers,” and praised as the “national beauty.” Lu You wrote in a poem: “Though gorgeous, it has no vulgar bearing; the Supreme Emperor is truly rich and noble.” This describes the crabapple as gorgeous, beautiful and elegant. Now let us take a look together at which poems and verses describe crabapple flowers!
"Crabapple"
Song Dynasty · Su Shi
The east wind curls softly, spreading a lofty radiance; fragrant mist blurs the air as the moon turns past the corridor.
I only fear that deep in the night the flower will fall asleep, so I burn tall candles to shine on the red makeup.
"At a Post Station, Seeing an Old Screen Painting of Crabapple, I Was Moved"
Song Dynasty · Lu You
Weary and annoyed, I only wish to face the wall in long meditation; how could this heart become as stubborn as stone?
Shutting the door and then going out again, I sigh at my habits; stopping wine and then opening it again, I am ashamed of my willpower.
In Chengdu in the second month the crabapples bloom, brocade and embroidery wrap the city and bewilder the lanes.
The Yan palace was the most flourishing, called a sea of flowers; a hegemon's realm and heroic lords have left traces behind.
Scarlet red and parrot green exhaust heaven's cleverness; layered calyxes and double bases dazzle in the morning sun.
A dream of prosperity is suddenly blown apart; closing my eyes and thinking carefully, it is still vivid.
Sorrow and joy pursuing each other is not easy to understand; old friends should remember the poem written while drunk.
Deep in the night, wind and rain at the Jiazhou post station; sorrowfully I face the screen and see the broken branch.
"Butterflies in Love with Flowers"
Song Dynasty · Ge Shengzhong
I only fear that deep in the night the flower will fall asleep.
Firelight shines on the red makeup, fully satisfying the wish to keep the guest here.
A thousand branches of phoenix candles, the flowers look all around; to dispel sorrow, where else should one seek?
The red light of the Han gardens is no idle talk.
Before the Qijing Pavilion, all are coral trees.
Then invite the cup forward and sound the libation drum; tomorrow the wind will be fierce and red rain will drift down.
"Living East of Dinghui Temple, Where Wildflowers Cover the Mountain and There Is One Crabapple Tree the Local People Do Not Know Is Precious"
Song Dynasty · Su Shi
In the river city, miasma from the land thickens the grass and trees; only this famous flower suffers in lonely seclusion. With a lovely smile among the bamboo fence, the peaches and plums all over the mountain seem altogether coarse and vulgar.
I know too that the Creator has a deep meaning, and so sent this beauty into the empty valley. Naturally rich and noble, its heavenly posture emerges; it does not wait for a golden plate to be presented in a splendid house.
Its vermilion lips, touched by wine, bring a blush to its face; green sleeves roll back the gauze, red shines against flesh. The forest is deep, the mist dark, dawn light is late; the sun is warm, the wind light, and spring sleep is complete.
In the rain it has tears and is also mournful; under the moon with no one around it is even more pure and lovely. The gentleman, having eaten his fill, has not a single matter to attend to; he strolls freely and pats his own belly.
Without asking whether it is a household or a monk's cell, leaning on his staff he knocks at the door to look at the tall bamboo. Suddenly he encounters peerless beauty shining on decay and age; he sighs and says nothing, wiping his sick eyes.
From what humble region did this flower come? Surely some busybody transplanted it from Western Shu. A tiny root cannot easily travel a thousand li; the one that carried the seed flying here must have been a swan.
Wandering to the ends of the earth, both are worthy of pity; for this I drink a cup and sing this song. Tomorrow when I sober up I will come again alone; snow falls thick and fast, how could I bear to touch it?
"Good News Approaches"
Song Dynasty. Zhou Zizhi
Spring is like wine in a cup, rich and strong; it has made the crabapple drunk and powerless.
Who dyed its jade flesh and plump face, making the color of rouge?
The wind and rain that send off spring are the most heartless; blowing it to ruin is also worthy of pity.
How would it be to keep the flowers here for a while, and call the little maid to hurry the beat?
"Spring Cold"
Song Dynasty. Chen Yuyi
In the second month at Baling there is wind every day; the spring cold has not ended, and the garden keeper is afraid.
The crabapple does not spare its rouge color; it stands alone in the drizzling rain.
"Like a Dream · Last Night the Rain Was Sparse and the Wind Sudden"
Song Dynasty · Li Qingzhao
Last night the rain was sparse and the wind sudden; a deep sleep did not dispel the lingering wine.
I tried asking the one rolling up the curtain, but she said the crabapple is still the same.
Do you know, do you know? It should be green fat and red thin.
"The Beautiful Lady Yu"
Song Dynasty · Li Mixun
After the crabapple blooms, who is master of spring? Day after day the rain hurries the flowers. Pitifully, new green spreads over the remaining branches. No longer do I see the fragrant cheeks mixed with powder, blushing with rouge.
Last year we joined hands and listened to "Golden Threads." It was exactly where the flowers were flying. Now that I am old, I cannot help sorrowing first. When will this sorrow that comes to bully the old ever stop?
"Written with My Juniors on Unopened Crabapple, Two Poems · Number Two"
Jin Dynasty · Yuan Haowen
Among the branches, layer upon layer of new green; small buds deeply hide a few dots of red.
Cherish the fragrant heart and do not lightly spit it out; for now let the peaches and plums make merry in the spring wind.
There are still many poems and verses describing crabapple flowers, such as Lu You's “Scarlet red and parrot green exhaust heaven's cleverness; layered calyxes and double bases dazzle in the morning sun.” and Song Dynasty Liu Zicui's “With a secluded posture and gentle bearing it plays in the clear spring; it borrows the wind's elegance and the willow's lightness. After many nights of rain its fragrance still remains; dyed all over with rouge, it cannot be painted." and so on. Everyone can also go and savor and appreciate them well.