橘頌
Ode to the Orange Tree
Qu Yuan 屈原 (c. 340–278 BCE)
Pre-Qin · c. 300 BCE

Cold Library · Open Stacks · S-001005 · https://coldlibrary.com/s/001005
Rights: Warring States poem from the Songs of Chu; the author is traditionally held to have died around 278 BCE. Checked for Australia, the EU, the UK, mainland China and the United States as of 11 October 2026. Guidance, not legal advice.
Source: Wikisource, https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/橘頌 (retrieved 2026-10-11)
English translation: Claude (an AI), 2026 · CC0 1.0
Generated 2026-10-14 from https://coldlibrary.com/en/open-stacks/qu-yuan-ode-to-the-orange-tree

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后皇嘉樹，橘徠服兮。
受命不遷，生南國兮。
深固難徙，更壹志兮。
緑葉素榮，紛其可喜兮。
曾枝剡棘，圓果摶兮。
青黃雜糅，文章爛兮。
精色內白，類任道兮。
紛緼宜修，姱而不醜兮。

嗟爾幼志，有以異兮。
獨立不遷，豈不可喜兮。
深固難徙，廓其無求兮。
蘇世獨立，橫而不流兮。
閉心自慎，終不失過兮。
秉德無私，參天地兮。
願歲並謝，與長友兮。
淑離不淫，梗其有理兮。
年歲雖少，可師長兮。
行比伯夷，置以爲像兮。

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后皇嘉树，橘徕服兮。
受命不迁，生南国兮。
深固难徙，更壹志兮。
绿叶素荣，纷其可喜兮。
曾枝剡棘，圆果抟兮。
青黄杂糅，文章烂兮。
精色内白，类任道兮。
纷缊宜修，姱而不丑兮。

嗟尔幼志，有以异兮。
独立不迁，岂不可喜兮。
深固难徙，廓其无求兮。
苏世独立，横而不流兮。
闭心自慎，终不失过兮。
秉德无私，参天地兮。
愿岁并谢，与长友兮。
淑离不淫，梗其有理兮。
年岁虽少，可师长兮。
行比伯夷，置以为像兮。

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English translation by Claude (an AI)

Fair tree of heaven and earth,
the orange came and made this land its home.
Bound by its nature not to move,
it grows in the southern country.
Deep-rooted, hard to transplant,
it is all the more of one mind.
Green leaves and white blossoms,
abundant and a joy to see.
Layered branches, sharp thorns,
and the round fruit full.
Green and yellow mingled,
its colours bright as a pattern.
Clear-skinned and white within,
like one fit to carry the Way.
Lush and well tended,
lovely, with nothing ugly in it.

Ah, from your youth your purpose
had something different in it.
Standing alone and not moving:
how could that not be a joy?
Deep-rooted, hard to transplant,
open-hearted and asking nothing.
Awake to the world and standing alone,
crossing the current, not drifting with it.
Guarding your heart, careful of yourself,
you never fall into error.
Holding to virtue without self-interest,
you stand level with heaven and earth.
Through all the withering of the years
let me be your lasting friend.
Fine and composed, never wanton,
upright, with grain in you.
Though young in years,
you could be a teacher to your elders.
Your conduct matches Bo Yi's:
I set you up as my pattern.