What does the term "Tulip language" mean?
You may not be familiar with the meaning of "Tulip language" and the symbolism and implications associated with the greenery of the plant called tulip. Let's explore and learn more about it.
There is a very artistic flower called tulip that blooms at the end of spring, hence its flower language is "the beauty of the end." It is considered artistic because its half-alluring and half-melancholic image frequently appears in artistic works. There is a line in "Dream of the Red Chamber": "When the tulip blooms, the flowers are done," which is profound. It was originally thought to be written by Cao Xueqin, but later it was discovered to be from the hand of Wang Qi from the Song Dynasty.
Tulip is mysterious, known by its name but not by its appearance. It's worth tracing its origins and searching for its fragrance in poetry. Before the Song Dynasty, tulip was neglected and had no fame, appearing only once in Tang poetry. By the Song Dynasty, tulip became a "web celebrity," from the palace to ordinary people's homes, everyone planted tulips. It was not only a fashionable aesthetic flower but also became a literary carrier. More than 140 poets, such as Su Shi, Huang Tingjian, and Lu You, sang praises of tulip, creating over 460 poems about tulip (which could easily compile a high-quality "Tulip Poetry Collection"). Lu You and Yang万里 each wrote dozens of tulip poems, known as "tulip poem addicts."
Let's look at the tulip as depicted by literary youth of the Song Dynasty. Wu Shuji: "When the tulip fades, the spring affairs are over"; Ren Zhuo: "The spring affairs of the year end with tulip"; Su Shi: "The tulip does not compete for spring, it blooms silently at the latest"; Chen Zao: "The peony and the tulip open one after another" (another name for tulip is "tuihua"), "After the tulip, the pomegranate flower fades." The peony fades, the tulip blooms, the pomegranate flower turns red, spring is almost over; the late-blooming tulip carries the last touch of poetic sentiment of spring, and it embodies a kind of indescribable and unspoken sadness for spring. Xin Qiji: "Lighting up the cherry blossoms, the pergola of tulip is as white as snow"; Fan Chengda: "The tuihua is as white as snow at dusk," "Snow-white tulip with red flowers"; when the flowers bloom like snow, they are naturally white. Li Qingzhao's poem about white chrysanthemums says: "A gentle breeze rises, the faint fragrance is rich, no less than tuihua." Compared with white chrysanthemums, it is clear that the flower shape is not delicate. Su Shi: "The wild tulip emits a faint fragrance," Sima Guang: "The spring is old, the tuihua is fragrant," Ouyang Xiu: "When the peony is about to bloom all over, the tuihua presses the trellis and the清香 spreads"; Zhao Ji (Emperor Huizong): "The pergola of tuihua is full of graceful fragrance"; it is known for its fresh and elegant scent. Lu You: "Already seeing the tuihua pressing the trellis open," Zhang Xian: "The tulip on the pergola is late," Wang Shibeng: "The spring mountain杜鹃 calls for people to return, returning to see the tuihua full of the pergola hanging down"; climbing on the pergola, it must be a vine. At that time, in front of and behind houses, the tulip pergola was very common. When Sima Guang's tulip pergola collapsed, he repaired it with his servants and wrote a leisurely poem "Repairing the Tuihua Pergola": "The poor family cannot afford to build strong wood, binding bamboo to support the tuihua..."
The winding tulip vines climb up the pergola, with dense branches and lush leaves, covering half of the courtyard with green leaves, forming a dark shade, creating a green curtain. Under the tulip pergola, it is peaceful and elegant, suitable for appreciating flowers, cooling off, strolling leisurely, reading and writing poetry, hosting banquets, enjoying music, and sipping tea and talking. Su Shi and Su Zhe poetically called the tulip pergola "tulip cave." Although the Song Dynasty was a literary era, the fate of the literati was not smooth. Factional disputes, academic disputes, political power struggles, and literary inquisitions made the literary career full of uncertainties. Serenity and comfort became their common pursuit. The quiet tulip cave became an excellent place to escape the hustle and bustle. For example, Su Zhe's poem "Tulip Cave" describes the elegance of banquets under the tulip pergola: "The green vines are long and lush, the fragrant flowers are abundant. The brocade mat falls with residual flowers, and the fragrant cup is stained with remaining aroma."
After the Song Dynasty, although there were fewer poems about tulip, the literary tradition remained. For example, Qian Lin of the Yuan Dynasty: "The door is blocked by the tulip courtyard," Tang Yin of the Ming Dynasty: "Drinking with tulip near worry," Li Po of the Qing Dynasty: "Pear blossoms after snow, tuihua snow," until Lu Xun: "The deep courtyard is full of tulip branches," and so on. As a poetic image and artistic carrier, "tulip" has always existed, but when did the tulip, as an ornamental plant, disappear from ordinary people's courtyard? It is unknown.
The early Qing Dynasty's Chen Haozi's ancient horticultural book "Flower Mirror"记载: Tulip flowers, also known as Buddha Smiling, are vines with many thorns, green leaves, and when supported by a trellis, they are lush. The flowers have: large petals, white in color and fragrant, with three leaves like the character pin, when fully bloomed, they are pure white. There are also honey-colored ones, not as good as yellow roses, with thorny stems and fragrant. They bloom at the end of spring.
Consulting "Flora Sinensis" and Chen Rong's "Classification of Trees in China" can tell that the scientific name of white tulip is double petal hollow bubble, alias Buddha Smiling; Rosaceae erect or climbing shrub, thorns on the stem, pinnate leaves, elliptical leaves, double flowers, white, fragrant; grows in mountains and grass slopes, flowering period May to June; cultivated for ornamental purposes. The scientific name of yellow tuihua is fragrant rose (not blackberry rose), Rosaceae climbing shrub, single flower, light yellow, fragrant, flowering period June to September ("Flora Sinensis" Volume 37).
Thus, the mysterious veil of tulip is lifted. White tulip is double petal hollow bubble, large double petals, piled snow and jade, ice muscle and jade bone, faint fragrance floating, this is the mainstream aesthetic tulip. Yellow tulip is fragrant rose,据说 also has pink, but not common.
"Qu Wei Old News"记载: "Fan Sui Gong lived in Xu, with a tulip pergola in front of the hall, high and wide enough to accommodate dozens of guests. Every spring when the flowers are in full bloom, they host banquets under it. They make an agreement: if a flying flower falls into the wine, drink it. Amidst laughter and chatter, when a gentle breeze passes, there are no leftovers. It was called the 'Flying Flower Meeting.'" In late spring, elegant scholars sit around the tulip pergola, admiring flowers, drinking wine, engaging in refined conversation, and composing poetry. The drinking game is also elegant: if a flying flower falls into whose cup, that person drinks the wine dry. Amidst conversation, a gentle breeze sweeps by, petals fall like snow, and for a moment, flying flowers and flowing wine cups, everyone is drunk. The main characters of the "Flying Flower Meeting," such as Fan Zhen and Sima Guang, were passionate in their arguments in court; under the tulip pergola, they drink and enjoy themselves in elegance.
Walking out of literature, tulip is melancholic. In fact, tulip grows on the south slope of the Qinling Mountains in the backyard of Xi'an. Whenever spring warms up, the tulip on the hillside opens its eyes, sprouts branches and leaves, stretches, climbs, and becomes lush; not until the end of spring does she bloom white flowers, fragrant and snowy. Does the flower feel lonely and sad inside?
The sharing above about the meaning of the tulip language, the symbolism and implications of the tulip flowers, I hope it can bring you help. Finally, don't forget to come and see more experience and knowledge!