爱莲说 On the Love of the Lotus

水陆草木之花，可爱者甚蕃。 shuǐ lù cǎo mù zhī huā, kě ài zhě shèn fán.
Among the flowers of water and land, of grass and tree, there are a great many to love.

晋陶渊明独爱菊。 jìn táo yuān míng dú ài jú.
Tao Yuanming of the Jin loved the chrysanthemum alone.

自李唐来，世人甚爱牡丹。 zì lǐ táng lái, shì rén shèn ài mǔ dān.
Since the Tang of the house of Li, people everywhere have loved the peony.

予独爱莲之出淤泥而不染，濯清涟而不妖， yú dú ài lián zhī chū yū ní ér bù rǎn, zhuó qīng lián ér bù yāo,
I alone love the lotus, which rises from the mud unstained and is washed by clear ripples without becoming showy,

中通外直，不蔓不枝，香远益清，亭亭净植， zhōng tōng wài zhí, bù màn bù zhī, xiāng yuǎn yì qīng, tíng tíng jìng zhí,
hollow within and straight without, neither trailing nor branching, its scent clearer the farther it carries, standing clean and upright,

可远观而不可亵玩焉。 kě yuǎn guān ér bù kě xiè wán yān.
something to be looked at from afar, not handled and toyed with.

予谓菊，花之隐逸者也； yú wèi jú, huā zhī yǐn yì zhě yě;
I would say the chrysanthemum is the recluse among flowers;

牡丹，花之富贵者也； mǔ dān, huā zhī fù guì zhě yě;
the peony is the rich and noble one among flowers;

莲，花之君子者也。 lián, huā zhī jūn zǐ zhě yě.
and the lotus is the gentleman among flowers.

噫！菊之爱，陶后鲜有闻。 yī! jú zhī ài, táo hòu xiǎn yǒu wén.
Ah! Love of the chrysanthemum has rarely been heard of since Tao.

莲之爱，同予者何人？ lián zhī ài, tóng yú zhě hé rén?
Love of the lotus, who shares it with me?

牡丹之爱，宜乎众矣！ mǔ dān zhī ài, yí hū zhòng yǐ!
Love of the peony, no wonder it is so common!