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China’s ruby treasure
Short-willed beauty,
Of the pomegranate blossom.
Slice the ripe fruit open,
Find red jewels of Asia.
Sweet and bitter juice,
Fills your mouth.
Branches droop,
For the weight of the fruit.
It’s small seed,
Will grow into a jewel.
And yet,
Their beauty,
Is only exposed,
For a short period,
But they will always be known,
As China’s traditional treasure.
七律 咏石榴
石榴半晌花发盛
一解装衣落楚红
玉津才尝甜伴苦
馨香更梦蕊如酮
芳园叶秀生尊女
蜀道滇囚养子龙
不慕桃花浮桧雅
勤耕更育璧连城
INFORMATION:
Introduced to China during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE), the pomegranate (Chinese: 石榴; pinyin: shíliu) in olden times was considered an emblem of fertility and numerous progeny. This symbolism is a pun on the Chinese character 子 (zǐ) which, as well as meaning seed also means offspring thus a fruit containing so many seeds is a sign of fecundity. Pictures of the ripe fruit with the seeds bursting forth were often hung in homes to bestow fertility and bless the dwelling with numerous offspring, an important facet of traditional Chinese culture.
-information from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomegrantes (paragraph 5.9) |
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