In the painter's brushwork, the lotus leaves spread out lushly, with fish playing among them.
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From the Han yuefu (汉乐府) folk song 《江南》: 江南可采莲，莲叶何田田。鱼戏莲叶间... (In Jiangnan one may pick lotus; the lotus leaves, how lush! Fish play among the lotus leaves...) One of the earliest, most beloved Chinese folk poems — recited by schoolchildren today.
usage
田田 (tiántián) is a descriptive reduplication meaning 'thick, leafy, spreading' — nothing to do with the 'field' meaning of 田. This reduplicated usage is largely archaic and poetic.
