Purple clouds float around the warm feet of the sun. I take off my light coat
because I am hot. The color of the sky makes me feel fatigued. The smell of
flowers intoxicates me. The midday dream "Fu-tou" 2. The Spring
languor overwhelms me like the surge of water in a Spring pond. The expanse of
ripples are wrinkles of sorrow. The waves rise and fall, dragging along heavy
feelings. Lacking strength like the east wind, I want to avoid sorrow, but I
change my mind all the same.
1
It suddenly turned sunny when Fan was on his way to Ping-xiang Village. He
lay down in his carriage and felt extremely tired. Therefore, He took a rest by
Willow Pond and wrote this poem.
2 "Fu-tou" was a brand of wine. Literally, "fu-tou" means
"supporting heads",
i.e., "no longer feeling sad". Therefore, Fan uses this term with double
meanings. The entire sentence means "After I drink wine, the midday dream stays
in my mind."