Yuan Dynasty
阳春曲 · 春景（一）
胡祗遹
几枝红雪墙头杏，
数点青山屋上屏。
一春能得几晴明？
三月景，
宜醉不宜醒。
Translation
A few branches of apricot blossom over the wall, red as tinted snow; a few points of blue mountains above the roof, like a natural screen. In all of spring, how many bright clear days can one have? This third-month scenery is fit for drunkenness, not for waking sobriety.
Analysis
"Spring Scene" is a brief and bright song on a fine spring day. With only a few images — apricot blossoms, distant mountains, clear weather, and the third lunar month — Hu Zhiyu captures both the pleasure of spring and the awareness that such beauty is brief. The opening image of "red snow" is delicate. Apricot blossoms have the lightness of snow but the color of spring. Because only "a few branches" appear over the wall, the scene feels intimate rather than grand. The second line expands the space. Above the roof, distant blue mountains appear like a screen. The poem places nearby blossoms and far-off mountains in a single frame, giving the little scene depth and clarity. The question "In all of spring, how many bright clear days can one have?" introduces the poem's sense of urgency. Spring is beautiful, but it is not stable. Wind and rain may come at any time; flowers may fall soon. A clear spring day is precious because it is rare. The final line is direct and characteristically Yuan in tone: such third-month scenery is for being drunk, not sober. Drunkenness here means more than wine. It means allowing oneself to be absorbed by the season rather than standing apart from it. The song's charm lies in its simplicity. It does not argue deeply. It simply says: the flowers are here, the mountains are clear, the day is rare — do not waste it by remaining too sober.
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 a number of 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.