施閏章《初嘗蘋果因懷家叔父嗜此》“Tasting the first apples and thereby recalling that my uncle loves them” by Shi Runzhang (1618-1684)

蘋果靑州五月鮮，

摘來差勝小兒拳。

憑誰倩得南飛鳥，

銜到高堂白髮邊。

Apples of Qingzhou [1] are fresh in the fifth month,

Just a little larger than a child’s fist when picked.

Who might entreat a bird flying south [2]

To carry them to my white-haired elder at home.

[1] A prefecture located in today’s Shandong Province.

[2] The poet’s hometown is located in today’s Anhui Province.

Album leaf depicting a bird on an apple tree, by Huang Quan 黃筌 (903-965)

Image credit: National Palace Museum, Taipei

五代後蜀黃筌長春花鳥　冊　蘋婆翎毛。國立故宮博物院，台北，CC BY 4.0 @ www.npm.gov.tw

Apple harvest this week