长安水边多丽人

長安水邊多麗人

Cháng'ān shuǐ biān duō lì rén

quotation

Meanings

1 by Chang'an's waterside, beautiful women are many
2 (fig.) evokes the lavish, almost decadent splendor of Tang capital court ladies on an outing
3 (lit.) Chang'an water-side many beautiful people

Characters

peace (长安 = Chang'an, Tang capital)

side (水边 = waterside)

person (丽人 = beauties)

Examples

杜甫写三月三日天气新，长安水边多丽人，勾画出盛唐的繁华。

Dùfǔ xiě sānyuè sānrì tiānqì xīn, Cháng'ānshuǐbiānduōlìrén, gōuhuà chū shèng Táng de fánhuá.

Du Fu wrote 'Third day of the third month, the weather is fresh; by Chang'an's waters the beauties are many' — sketching the splendor of the High Tang.

春日西湖边上游人如织，倒也有几分长安水边多丽人的味道。

Chūnrì Xīhú biānshàng yóurén rú zhī, dào yě yǒu jǐ fēn Cháng'ānshuǐbiānduōlìrén de wèidào.

Spring crowds thronging the West Lake have a faint flavor of 'Chang'an's waterside with its many beauties.'

Tips

history

From 杜甫《丽人行》(Du Fu, 'Song of the Beautiful Ladies,' High Tang, 753 CE): 三月三日天气新，长安水边多丽人 (The third day of the third month, the weather fresh and new — by Chang'an's waters, many beautiful women). The poem describes Yang Guifei's sisters and cousins at a Shangsi-festival outing on the Qujiang; the apparent praise conceals biting satire of the Yang clan's arrogance, written just before the An Lushan Rebellion.

usage

Usually quoted with its partner line 三月三日天气新. The tone is deceptive — on the surface admiring, underneath critical. Modern readers often miss the satire and use it as pure praise of spring outings.

Stroke Order

长 cháng

安 ān

水 shuǐ

边 biān

多 duō

丽 lì

人 rén