Recollection of a lotus lover

宋代：周敦頤
Song dynasty: Zhou Dunyi

水陸草木之花，可愛者甚蕃。晉陶淵明獨愛菊。自李唐來，世人甚愛牡丹。予獨愛蓮之出淤泥而不染，濯清漣而不妖，中通外直，不蔓不枝，香遠益清，亭亭淨植，可遠觀而不可褻玩焉。
Of those flowering grasses and trees, beside the waters and within, are many to be loved. Tao Yuanming of the Jin dynasty loved only the chrysanthemum. But since the Li dynasty of Tang, those of the world have loved the peony. Present therefore the lotus, untainted by silt, in rippling clear waters without sultry, passaged within and stout without, neither tendriled nor branched, pure and fragrant from a distance, grown lofty and unblemished, such can be admired from afar but not fumbled carelessly anear.

予謂菊，花之隱逸者也；牡丹，花之富貴者也；蓮，花之君子者也。噫！菊之愛，陶後鮮有聞。蓮之愛，同予者何人？牡丹之愛，宜乎眾矣!
Present therefore that the chrysanthemum might be deemed as the lonely hermit amongst flowers, the peony as the noble and wealthy, the lotus as the gentleman. Alas! Those whom of chrystanthemum loved, became sparse after Tao. Those whom of lotus loved as such, whereso besides yours truly? Those whom of peonies loved, easily is there a multitude!