You ask me why I dwell in the green mountain; I smile and make no reply for my heart is free of care. As the peach-blossom flows down stream and is gone into the unknown, I have a world apart that is not among men.
Li BaiRead
The paired butterflies are already yellow with August Over the grass in the West garden; They hurt me. I grow older.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the passage of time and the bittersweet nature of aging in the presence of beauty.
Li Bai's quote expresses a poignant observation of fleeting beauty and the inevitable process of aging. The imagery of butterflies denotes the transient nature of life, as they are vibrant and full of life, yet their presence is colored with the sadness of time passing, which brings pain as one grows older. This juxtaposition illustrates the simultaneous appreciation and sorrow that life brings as one reflects on beauty while confronting their own mortality.
Themes
ButterfliesAgingBeautyTimeNature
In practice
Example use cases
During a memorial service, this quote can be used to remind attendees of the beauty of life and the sadness of loss.
More from Li Bai
All quotes βBeneath the blossoms with a pot of wine, No friends at hand, so I poured alone; I raised my cup to invite the moon, Turned to my shadow, and we became three.
Li BaiRead
Since Life is but a Dream, Why toil to no avail?
Li BaiRead
From some home a jade flute sends dark notes drifting,_x000D_ _x000D_ Scattering on the spring wind that fills Lo-yang._x000D_ _x000D_ Tonight, if we should hear the willow-breaking song,_x000D_ _x000D_ Who could help but long for the gardens of home?
Li BaiRead
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