李孔修《詠龍眼》“Ode to longan” by Li Kongxiu (1462-1531)

封皮酿蜜水晶寒，

入口香生露未乾。

本与荔枝同一味，

當時何不進长安。

Sealed in the shell is nectar as crisp as crystal,

Giving fragrance [as it] enters the mouth with dew still wet.

[It] certainly shares a flavour with lychee,

How come it didn’t find its way into Chang’an? [1]

[1] This alludes to the story about Yang Guifei (Yang Yuhuan 楊玉環, 719-756), the favourite concubine of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang 唐玄宗 (685-762, ruling 712-756). Lychees are notoriously difficult to keep fresh, so the emperor had his men riding day and night in order to bring Yang Guifei the freshest lychees from the southeast of the empire to the capital Chang’an.