An aerial view of Greek lavender at sunrise near the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki, central Macedonia, on June 17, 2021 Lavender fields. / CFP
Lixia, or the 'beginning of summer', is the seventh of the 24 solar terms in China's traditional calendar.
At this time, temperatures are rising across the country, as the days become longer and rain becomes more frequent.
How do both Chinese and foreign poets express their feelings about summer?
Let's check it out! ↓↓↓
A Little Pond
"Quietly and reluctantly, the mouth of the spring let go of the streamlet.
The tree shades cherish the breeze and the sunshine above water.
Just emerging from the pond a delicate lotus bud did.
Perching atop it, a dragonfly already enjoys the summer."
The poem was written by Yang Wanli, a famous Chinese poet during the Song Dynasty (960-1279 A.D.).
Perching atop it, a dragonfly already enjoys the summer. / CFP
"A Little Pond" / Qiu Yu
How did Shakespeare from England describe his summer?
Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date;
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st;
Nor shall death brag thou wander'st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st:
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
This is a part of a sonnet 18 by Shakespeare. Shakespeare asks whether he could compare his friend to a summer's day, but notes that his friend has qualities that surpass a summer's day.
extract of the Sonnet 18 / Qiu Yu
Which poem do you like best? Comment below and I'll see you in my next episode!
Video editor and Photographer: Qiu Yu
Executive Producer: Zhang Xiaohe