The Original and Translation of Ailian Shuo

The original text of "Ailian Shuo":

The flowers of land and water plants are very lovely. Jin Tao Yuanming loves chrysanthemums alone; Since Li Tanglai, everyone loves peony; To love the lotus alone, the mud is not stained, and it is clear but not demon. It is straight outside, not creeping, and the fragrance is far away and clear. It is slim and graceful, so you can look at it from a distance without being ridiculous. To call chrysanthemum, the hermit of flowers is also; Peony, the flower is rich; Lotus, the gentleman of flowers is also. Hey! The love of chrysanthemum is rarely heard after pottery; Who gives the love of lotus? The love of peony is suitable for all!

The original translation of "Ailian Shuo":

There are many flowers of all kinds of vegetation in water and on land that are worth loving. Tao Yuanming of the Eastern Jin Dynasty only loved chrysanthemums. Since Li's Tang Dynasty, peonies have been loved by the world. I only like the lotus, because it grows out of the mud but is not polluted. After being washed with clear water, it doesn't look seductive. Its stems are hollow and straight outside, and it doesn't get involved. Its fragrance spreads far and wide, and it becomes more and more quiet. People can only watch it from a distance, but they can't play with it at will.

I think chrysanthemum is a hermit in flowers; Peony is a rich person in flowers; Lotus is a gentleman among flowers. Alas! Tao Yuanming's love for chrysanthemums has rarely been heard of since. For the love of lotus, who else is like me? There should be many people who like peony!