小池
quán yǎn泉眼wú shēng无声xī惜xì细liú流，
shù yīn树阴zhào照shuǐ水ài爱qíng晴róu柔。
xiǎo小hé荷cái才lòu露jiān jiān尖尖jiǎo角，
zǎo早yǒu有qīng tíng蜻蜓lì立shàng tóu上头。
The poet & the story
Yang Wanli (1127–1206) wrote over four thousand surviving poems in a deliberately fresh, plain style he called the “Chengzhai style” — finding wonder in small everyday scenes that grander poets walked past. He was also a principled official who repeatedly resigned rather than compromise.
Interpretation
A spring’s eye lets its trickle flow in silence; tree shade loves the soft brightness of the pool. A baby lotus has just shown its sharp tip above the water — and already a dragonfly stands on it. The last couplet, 小荷才露尖尖角, is now used for any budding talent: the moment promise first becomes visible, something always arrives to greet it.