Yuan Dynasty
阳春曲 · 春景（二）
胡祗遹
残花酝酿蜂儿蜜，
细雨调和燕子泥。
绿窗春睡觉来迟。
谁唤起？
窗外晓莺啼。
Translation
Fading flowers slowly brew honey for the bees; fine rain mixes the mud for swallows' nests. Behind the green window, spring sleep is deep, and waking comes late. Who has called me awake? Outside the window, a morning oriole is singing.
Analysis
This second "Spring Scene" is a quiet morning piece. Unlike the previous song, which presents spring outings and clear scenery, this one stays close to the window and focuses on small signs of spring life: fading flowers, bees, fine rain, swallows, sleep, and birdsong. "Fading flowers brew honey for the bees" is a delicate opening. Even flowers past their prime still nourish life. The verb "brew" gives the process a slow, fragrant richness, as if spring itself were preparing sweetness. "Fine rain mixes the mud for swallows" shifts from flowers to nest-building. The rain softens the earth, and the swallows use it to build their homes. Nature is shown as a network of small cooperation: rain, mud, birds, flowers, bees. The third line moves indoors. A person sleeps behind a green window and wakes late from spring sleep. The image recalls the familiar theme of spring drowsiness, but here it feels intimate and domestic. The final question and answer are charmingly simple. The sleeper wonders who has awakened them. It is not a person or a duty, but the morning call of an oriole outside the window. The beauty of the song lies in its quietness. It does not need grand scenery. Spring appears in minor processes: honey forming, mud softening, nests being made, sleep lingering, and birds calling at dawn.
About the Author
Hu Zhiyu, courtesy name Shaokai, also recorded as Shaowen, and literary name Zishan, was a Yuan dynasty writer and official from Wu'an in Cizhou. He served under Kublai Khan in several posts, including Hanlin literary appointments, Taichang scholar-official, judicial commissioner, and regional administrative positions. He was known as a capable and upright official. His collected writings, Zishan Daquanji, preserve important materials for the study of Yuan literature and drama. His sanqu are clear, refined, and elegant, combining literati sensibility with the natural speech rhythm of Yuan song.