Yuan Dynasty
小桃红 · 采莲女（二）
杨果
碧湖湖上采芙蓉，
人影随波动。
凉露沾衣翠绡重，
月明中，
画船不载凌波梦。
都来一段，
红幢翠盖，
香尽满城风。
Translation
On the blue-green lake, the lotus-picking girl gathers lotus blossoms; her reflection moves with the rippling waves. Cool dew wets her clothes, making the green gauze heavy. In the bright moonlight, the painted boat cannot carry away the dream of one who glides over the waves. All of it becomes one scene: red lotus blossoms like banners, green leaves like canopies, their fragrance carried by the wind until it fills the whole city.
Analysis
This song portrays a lotus-picking girl on a moonlit lake. Compared with the previous piece, which directly praises the girl's beauty, this one is softer and more atmospheric. It builds its effect through water, moonlight, dew, shadow, boats, and fragrance. The opening line gives us the main scene: a green-blue lake and a girl gathering lotus. The word "lotus" also carries associations with feminine beauty, so the flower and the girl subtly reflect one another. "Her reflection moves with the waves" is the most delicate visual detail. Instead of describing her face or body directly, the song shows her shadow trembling on the water. This makes her presence feel both real and dreamlike. "Cool dew wets her clothes" introduces touch and temperature. The green gauze garment, normally light, becomes heavy with dew. The night scene is therefore not only visual; it is bodily and sensory. "The painted boat cannot carry away the dream of one who glides over the waves" gives the song its deeper resonance. "Gliding over the waves" evokes the classical image of a goddess moving over water. The girl becomes almost supernatural, yet the dream cannot be possessed or taken away. The closing images enlarge the lotus scene: red blossoms become banners, green leaves become canopies, and fragrance fills the city. The private moonlit encounter expands into a whole world of color and scent. The charm of the piece lies in its restraint. It does not shout about beauty; it lets beauty appear through reflected movement, moonlight, wet gauze, and lotus fragrance.
About the Author
Yang Guo, courtesy name Zhengqing and literary name Xi'an, was a late Jin and early Yuan writer and sanqu poet from Puyin in Qizhou. He passed the jinshi examination under the Jin and later served under the Yuan, eventually reaching high office. He was known for integrity and administrative ability and was closely associated with Yuan Haowen. Yang Guo wrote poetry, prose, ci, and sanqu, with particular distinction in song. His sanqu often treats natural scenery, romantic feeling, and banquet life in a clear, ornate, and visually vivid style. The Ming critic Zhu Quan compared his songs to "fragrant and beautiful flowers and willows."