<p>There are sites explaining classical poems</p>
<p><a href="https://www.gushiwen.cn/mingju/juv_67215a4172a7.aspx" rel="nofollow noreferrer">《黄鹤楼送孟浩然之广陵》</a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>故人西辞黄鹤楼，烟花三月下扬州。</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>孤帆远影碧空尽，唯见长江天际流。</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>烟花</strong>：形容柳絮如烟、鲜花似锦的春天景物 - <strong>smoke and flower</strong>: describe the spring scenery of catkins like smoke and flowers like brocade.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Another source <a href="https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E7%83%9F%E8%8A%B1%E4%B8%89%E6%9C%88%E4%B8%8B%E6%89%AC%E5%B7%9E/211715" rel="nofollow noreferrer">扬州故事</a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>在这个春天里，应该到扬州去看一看，这个时候正是那里最美的时候。那里的天气，那里的[<strong>烟柳</strong>]，那里的[<strong>琼花</strong>]，都带着浓浓的春的气息。- In this spring, you should go to Yangzhou to see it. This is the most beautiful time there. The weather, the [<strong>smokey willows</strong>], and the [<strong>viburnums</strong>]. All have a strong sense of spring.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="https://posts.careerengine.us/p/64131e007ea962192a907eb0" rel="nofollow noreferrer">游记：江南三月烟柳</a></p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/0KvzTQCY.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/0KvzTQCY.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-10-13T15:03:16.533Z
As no more than one answer can be marked as "accepted", I accept this one because it seems the most exhaustive to me, at the moment; personally I'd also accept the answers provided by other users, too (upvoted them, indeed!).
Starnuto di topo
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-10-13T15:06:29.767Z
Personally, I like the ability to evoke such descriptive atmosphere in a such intense way, just using just few characters. This is one of the reasons I find Chinese poetry so fascinating.
Starnuto di topo
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-10-11T13:01:18.200Z
2024-10-11T14:05:16.477Z
2024-10-11T14:05:16.477Z
Tang Ho
<blockquote>
<p>Should they be read as a single word</p>
</blockquote>
<p><strong>no</strong></p>
<p>read it as “煙波” + “花”, roughly “mist / fog over water” &amp; flowers [on shore]</p>
<p>have fun :)</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-10-11T17:29:01.460Z
What is the meaning of 水巷孑蠻? Lonely barbarian? From a poem or whence?
Pedroski
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-10-11T23:56:40.860Z
@Pedroski, well, when i needed a user name for stackexchange, i was still living in . . . 水+巷 —> 港  the rest, you get it  **now**, 天涯隨寓 lah 
水巷孑蠻
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-10-13T15:15:30.083Z
@水巷孑蠻 "lonely barbarian from Hong Kong (lane of water)", then?
Starnuto di topo
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-10-13T15:15:53.983Z
@水巷孑蠻 thanks for your answer, by the way!
Starnuto di topo
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-10-11T13:26:45.503Z
2024-10-11T13:26:45.503Z
水巷孑蠻
<p>In general, 烟花 means 1. fireworks 2. prostitution.</p>
<p>In poems:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>烟花</strong> - <strong>雾霭</strong>中的<strong>花朵</strong> (Flower in mist). It indirectly described the poetical spring scenery in 扬州.</li>
</ul>
<p>烟花三月 - In the flower flourish misty March..... paints the picture below.</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/Uaj0YoED.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/Uaj0YoED.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-10-13T15:09:01.767Z
thanks for your answer! Your explanation, together with the picture, is very enlightening.
Starnuto di topo
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-10-11T13:49:31.637Z
2024-10-11T14:16:27.923Z
2024-10-11T14:16:27.923Z
r13
<p>A verse of a well-known poem by Li Bai (李白) reads:</p>
<p>烟花三月下扬州</p>
<p>I'm struggling with the translation of the characters 烟花.
Should they be read as a single word (&quot;fireworks&quot;) or as a composition of terms (&quot;perfume of blossom&quot;), or something else?</p>
<p>What are the meaning of 烟花 also in other contexts?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-10-12T01:43:15.563Z
Here's a modern song based on that -- https://youtu.be/Cs6ZUESJuHgsi=pIdwEe8SWKmcgAWv
Wayne Cheah
<meaning><meaning-in-context>
Meaning of 烟花 , both in general and in a poem by Li Bai
# Meaning of 烟花 , both in general and in a poem by Li Bai

(Asked by: username_0 on 2024-10-11)

A verse of a well-known poem by Li Bai (李白) reads:

烟花三月下扬州

I'm struggling with the translation of the characters 烟花.
Should they be read as a single word ("fireworks") or as a composition of terms ("perfume of blossom"), or something else?

What are the meaning of 烟花 also in other contexts?

**Tags:** meaning, meaning-in-context

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Here's a modern song based on that -- https://youtu.be/Cs6ZUESJuHgsi=pIdwEe8SWKmcgAWv  

---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2024-10-11. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

There are sites explaining classical poems

[《黄鹤楼送孟浩然之广陵》](https://www.gushiwen.cn/mingju/juv_67215a4172a7.aspx)

> 故人西辞黄鹤楼，烟花三月下扬州。

> 孤帆远影碧空尽，唯见长江天际流。

> **烟花**：形容柳絮如烟、鲜花似锦的春天景物 - **smoke and flower**: describe the spring scenery of catkins like smoke and flowers like brocade.

Another source [扬州故事](https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E7%83%9F%E8%8A%B1%E4%B8%89%E6%9C%88%E4%B8%8B%E6%89%AC%E5%B7%9E/211715)

> 在这个春天里，应该到扬州去看一看，这个时候正是那里最美的时候。那里的天气，那里的[**烟柳**]，那里的[**琼花**]，都带着浓浓的春的气息。- In this spring, you should go to Yangzhou to see it. This is the most beautiful time there. The weather, the [**smokey willows**], and the [**viburnums**]. All have a strong sense of spring.

[游记：江南三月烟柳](https://posts.careerengine.us/p/64131e007ea962192a907eb0)

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/0KvzTQCY.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/0KvzTQCY.png)

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: As no more than one answer can be marked as "accepted", I accept this one because it seems the most exhaustive to me, at the moment; personally I'd also accept the answers provided by other users, too (upvoted them, indeed!).  
> **username_0**: Personally, I like the ability to evoke such descriptive atmosphere in a such intense way, just using just few characters. This is one of the reasons I find Chinese poetry so fascinating.  

---

### Answer by username_3 on 2024-10-11. Score: 2

> Should they be read as a single word

**no**

read it as “煙波” + “花”, roughly “mist / fog over water” & flowers [on shore]

have fun :)

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: What is the meaning of username_3? Lonely barbarian? From a poem or whence?  
> **username_3**: @username_4, well, when i needed a user name for stackexchange, i was still living in . . . 水+巷 —> 港  the rest, you get it  **now**, 天涯隨寓 lah   
> **username_0**: @username_3 "lonely barbarian from Hong Kong (lane of water)", then?  
> **username_0**: @username_3 thanks for your answer, by the way!  

---

### Answer by username_5 on 2024-10-11. Score: 1

In general, 烟花 means 1. fireworks 2. prostitution.

In poems:

* **烟花** - **雾霭**中的**花朵** (Flower in mist). It indirectly described the poetical spring scenery in 扬州.

烟花三月 - In the flower flourish misty March..... paints the picture below.

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/Uaj0YoED.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/Uaj0YoED.png)

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: thanks for your answer! Your explanation, together with the picture, is very enlightening.  

---

