Du Mu has a poem about cardamom and pretty head in early February. Cardamom refers to a woman aged thirteen or fourteen.

cardamom and pretty head in early February. Source:

Two farewell poems

Two Farewell Songs

Author: Du Mu (Tang Dynasty)

Pingpingpingjiaojiao is more than thirteen years old, and the cardamom leaves are in early February.

The spring breeze is ten miles away on Yangzhou Road, and it is not as good as rolling up the bead curtain.

Translation

The girl of thirteen or fourteen has a graceful posture and a light and beautiful manner, just like the cardamom flower that is just about to bloom in February.

The spring breeze of ten miles away from Yangzhou Road is swaying, and the beauties in the beaded curtains and green curtains are not as beautiful as her.

Notes

Pingping Niao Niao: describes the light and beautiful figure of a woman. More than thirteen: Describe his age.

Cardamom: According to "Compendium of Materia Medica", cardamom flowers grow among the leaves. Southerners take the ones that are not fully bloomed and call them fetal flowers, which are often used as metaphors for virgins.

"Two Sentences on the Spring Breeze": In the prosperous city of Yangzhou, there are many singing houses and dancing pavilions on the ten-mile long street, and there are many beauties in the beaded curtains and green curtains, but none of them are as beautiful as this girl.

Appreciation

This poem is a poem by the poet as a farewell to a beloved singing girl. Judging from another poem with the same title ("Sentimental but always ruthless"), we can see that they have similar feelings for each other. Deep and sincere. However, that poem focused on "saying goodbye", but this one focused on praising the beauty of the other person and arousing the feeling of saying goodbye.

"Pingping is more than thirteen years old, and the cardamom leaves are in early February." The first two sentences of this little poem say that the beautiful posture and light demeanor are exactly thirteen years old, just like a cardamom flower in bud in early February.

The first sentence describes it: "Pingping Niao Niao" refers to the light and beautiful appearance, and "more than thirteen years old" refers to the woman's youthful age.