Yang Wanli

Yang Wanli (1127–1206) was a Chinese poet of the Southern Song dynasty known for clear, natural imagery and concise language. He served as a civil official and his poetry often celebrates nature and everyday life, as reflected in lines about osmanthus moved from the moon.

Quotes by Yang Wanli

Quotes: 1

“Red osmanthus greets the wind and blooms;
Not planted by mortals — it was moved from the moon.”
— Yang Wanli

Moon-Born Osmanthus and the Wind’s Greeting

To say a tree was moved from the moon is hyperbole, yet it feels exact: metaphors sometimes reveal provenance better than botany. Wang Guowei’s Remarks on Ci Poetry (1908) described poetic “realms” where the world either enters the self or the self enters the world; Yang’s osmanthus accomplishes both. The moon descends into the garden, and, in breathing its scent, the reader ascends. In this reciprocal motion, the poem shows what verse uniquely does—rooting wonder where we stand. [...]

Created on: 10/6/2025