《爱莲说》

作者：周敦颐（北宋）

水陆草木之花，可爱者甚蕃。晋陶渊明独爱菊；自李唐来，世人甚爱牡丹；予独爱莲之出淤泥而不染，濯清涟而不妖，中通外直，不蔓不枝，香远益清，亭亭净植，可远观而不可亵玩焉。

予谓菊，花之隐逸者也；牡丹，花之富贵者也；莲，花之君子者也。噫！菊之爱，陶后鲜有闻；莲之爱，同予者何人？牡丹之爱，宜乎众矣！

"On the Love of the Lotus"

by Zhou Dunyi (Northern Song Dynasty)

Of all flowers that grow on land or in water, there are many that are lovable. The Jin-dynasty poet Tao Yuanming loved only the chrysanthemum¹. Since the Tang dynasty, it has been fashionable to adore the peony. But I alone love the lotus for rising unsullied from mud, bathed by clear waves without appearing seductive, its stem hollow yet straight, without creeping vines or branches, its fragrance² growing purer from afar, standing³ tall and pristine⁴, to be admired from a distance but not profaned⁵ by intimate handling.

I say the chrysanthemum is the recluse⁶ among flowers; the peony, the aristocrat⁷; the lotus, the gentleman. Alas! Few have shared Tao’s love for the chrysanthemum. Who now shares my love for the lotus? As for the peony, it has always been the crowd’s favorite!