Imagine a spring night in ancient China: moonlight drapes a garden, fragrant mist curls around blooming begonias, and a poet lights candles to savor the scene before it fades. This is the timeless magic captured in Su Shi’s *Begonia*, penned nearly 1,000 years ago during the Song Dynasty.
"The eastern breeze stirs a luminous glow, fragrant mist and moonlight gently flow. I fear the night may steal her bloom away, so I burn tall candles to keep her stay."
Su Shi, a literary giant known for blending philosophy with everyday wonder, treats blossoms like friends. The poem’s tender urgency – fearing nighttime’s theft of beauty – mirrors modern obsessions with capturing sunsets or cherry blossoms for Instagram. But here, there’s no camera: just candlelight battling the dark to prolong a moment.
Why does this resonate today? 🤔 Across cultures, Gen Z’s love for #vanishingbeauty trends – think TikTok’s viral ‘aesthetic decay’ clips – echoes Su Shi’s mindfulness. The poem reminds us: beauty thrives in impermanence. As night falls, light your own candle (or phone screen) and witness the world’s fleeting marvels.
