咏菊 (yǒngjú): to sing of / write a poem on ch…

Meanings

1 to sing of / write a poem on chrysanthemums (a classical poetic theme); 'Ode to the Chrysanthemum' (a common poem title)

Characters

咏

yǒng

to sing of, to chant in verse

菊

jú

chrysanthemum

Examples

古代文人喜欢咏菊。

Gǔdài wénrén xǐhuan yǒngjú.

Ancient literati loved composing poems about chrysanthemums.

林黛玉的《咏菊》是《红楼梦》里的名篇。

Lín Dàiyù de 《Yǒngjú》 shì 《Hónglóumèng》 lǐ de míngpiān.

Lin Daiyu's 'Ode to the Chrysanthemum' is a famous piece in Dream of the Red Chamber.

Tips

culture

Chrysanthemums (菊花) are one of the 'Four Gentlemen' (四君子) of Chinese painting alongside plum, orchid, and bamboo — symbolizing reclusive integrity (especially after Tao Yuanming 陶渊明's love for them). 咏菊 poems are a classical genre; the most famous in popular culture is the one Lin Daiyu writes in chapter 38 of 《红楼梦》 (Dream of the Red Chamber), which wins first prize in the Crab-Flower Club's poetry contest.