Nature's beauty is a rich delicacy

The Wang River collection (7)

Dogwood by a Stream 
Wang Wei

On fruiting dogwood, red and green are blending, 
As if the plant has flowered a second time. 
In the hills, if you have guests attending, 
Put berries in their lotus-cups of wine.

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Pei Di's poem at the same site (prose translation):

Its floating fragrance blends pepper and cinnamon; its leaves grow among bamboo. The clouded sun sends evening rays, but the thickness of the bush keeps it cool.

Pei’s poem is an attractive description of the dogwood plant, a tree that produces berries with a spicy flavour. Wang Wei is interested in a more mythic vision, imagining some supernatural or aristocratic gathering, with expensive goblets carved into the shape of lotus flowers (or perhaps in this case, actual lotus flowers used as cups).

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茱萸沜

结实红且绿，复如花更开。

山中倘留客，置此芙蓉杯。