《愛蓮說》（宋）周敦頤 - Love of the Lotus

On Love of the Lotus

Among the flowers which are aquicolous, terricolous, herbaceous, and woody, the lovely ones are numerous. Tao Yuanming in Jin Dynasty had devoted himself to the chrysanthemum. The earthlings have been in fashion to be fond of the tree peony since Tang Dynasty. I love only the lotus which grows out of sludge but free from a stain, which cleanses in clear water without being coquettish, which is hollow inside and upright outside, which has no creeping stem or no bough and branch, which pervades its scent afar faintly, which is tall and straight, which can be watched in a distance but out of reach of the disrespectful. Among all the flowers, I call the chrysanthemum as a recluse, the tree peony as a wealthy and noble, the lotus as a man of honour. Alas! The way of loving the chrysanthemum as Tao Yuanming did is rarely heard of now. Who adore the lotus in the same way as I do? The affection of the tree peony ought to be in the masses.

　　　　　　　　　　　　愛蓮說　　　（宋）周敦頤

　　水陸草木之花，可愛者甚蕃。晉陶淵明獨愛菊；自李唐來，世人盛愛牡丹；予獨愛蓮之出淤泥而不染，濯清漣而不妖，中通外直，不蔓不枝，香遠益清，亭亭靜植，可遠觀而不可褻玩焉。予謂菊，花之隱逸者也；牡丹，花之富貴者也；蓮，花之君子者也。噫！菊之愛，陶後鮮有聞；蓮之愛，同予者何人；牡丹之愛，宜乎眾矣。

Chopin Nocturne Op. 27 No. 2 - Played by Lang Lang