Update of 兩岸凡間淚

About four years ago in 2014, I was inspired by a doodling line of, 兩邊銀河淚, "Tears on both sides of the Milky Way" in reference to the love story of the "Cowherd and the Celestial Spinning Maid".

I found the line too direct, without mystery and not poetic enough. In the end, a better way was found, "兩岸凡間淚" (Mortal tears on both banks). Here "banks" can refer to the physical banks of a river or figuratively that of the Milky Way.

The ambiguity of the first line creates mystery and has more color in that even though they may be immortals, their feelings are just same as human beings. I had also considered reversing the word order to "凡間兩岸淚" However, this translates to "In the mortal world, are tears on both banks", a much less colorful image.

To complete the poem, I always followed this mantra that the first line creates a theme. The second one expands on it and the third introduces a new theme or motif. The final fourth line ties everything together.  As an example,

Two daughters of a silk merchant live in Kyoto.
The elder is twenty, the younger, eighteen.
A soldier may kill with his sword,
But these girls slay men with their eyes.

At this time, I was starting to learn rhyming schemes and so it became the highest priority and resulted in disconnection. By now my Muse had gone and found myself unable to complete the poem. My paltry knowledge and inexperience made this poem lie in an undisturbed condition until today. For those who are interested in the original, here's the link,

http://jeffinous.blogspot.com/2014/08/three-love-poems.html

A few weeks earlier, by chance, I had stumbled onto Youtube to this Chinese orchestra piece, 東海漁歌 (The Fisherman's song of the Eastern Ocean). There in the video, saw this minor dulcimer player whose gentle hammering on his instrument became the heartbeat of my soul. I was love struck and became so smitten that the entire night was spent watching the video over again and again; trying to burn that image into my mind so that I can bring it into my world of dreams.

My older physical self chided my sixteen year old heart for being such impetuosity.

"How would you get to meet the person? Where would you begin your search? How much is how much to spend on such whimsical frivolity? Remember you have house payments to make! Even if the person is found, what guarantees your heart would not be rendered to shreds?"

"Fate will bring us together! Nothing ventured nothing gained!" came the retort from the impassioned side.

"Sure! It is also the hand of Fate that twain shall never meet! Too many a journey up the hill will the tiger be eventually met".

Never to argue with logic and as usual, it prevailed but the ferverous passion of emotion charged forward to another direction in order to circumvent the reality.

In the end, this unsatisfying poem was dredged from the almost forgotten depths. It was easy to modify given such an aroused fervidity.

兩岸凡間淚, Though mortal tears are on both sides of the Banks,
七夕鵲橋聚. On the Seventh Night; upon the magpie bridge once more reunite,
便勝君一望, Is far better than one look at thee,
單心夢魂醉. And a single heart is unrequited because of your presence in my dream.

I am now satisfied at least until in the future, when I had gained more knowledge and experience for another change.

Notes:

1. Each line contains a number.
2. When read, the last line, 單心 is homphonous to丹心 (loyalty)
3. 君 may be the subject and is looking at the author. Then the last line makes no sense.

29 Dec 2018

Two Constrasting Poems

The first poem is entitled, "凡間仙氣 - Earthly Fairyness".  It was inspired by the following scene as I was walking through the Cabrillo Marina, a few days before Christmas of 2018.  The sky was clear and warm sunlight shafting through.  "Enjoy what you have now instead of fantasizing things you cannot get".

霜雪無踪神緒曠, Feeling great that nary a snowflake or frost be seen,
銀影鱗遍微波浪. And everywhere sunlight glitters all over the sea of calm.
蓬萊稀霧難一見. A rarity indeed to see the Immortal Isles partly bare,
凡間仙氣眼前藏. But permeating all over on this earth, lie the many hidden fairyness before thee.

The next one is untitled.  Now that all Christmas festivities are gone like the blink of the eye; only the cold is left like some guest staying too long.  The main inspiration of this poem comes from the flute rendering of 大魚 - Big Fish. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJ6dhjdxeFE&start_radio=1&list=RDCJ6dhjdxeFE

On the surface, it's about someone playing a flute on a boat while journeying through a wintery scenery.  Actually, it is about old age robbing the joys of youth and one's nostalgia of returning to things to the way they were. A contrast to the previous poem.

For the allusion of the Peony Pavilion, see
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Peony_Pavilion

霜雪橫掃點紅影,
The frost angrily blotting out all traces of red,
愁笛更添遍白靜.
Lonelier the blanketed white becomes from the sound of the melancholy flute.
一江東向岸何在,
The river may head east but the bank is nowhere in sight,
回尋昨夜牡丹亭. Back to last night in the Peony Pavilion once more met.

懐舊 - Nostalgia

All these classical Chinese orchestral works were used as background music of old HK Cantonese Kung Fu movie fighting scenes which form a great part of my childhood days. Finally I get to know their names. In the following order, 闖將令 (Shock Troops Order), 四川將軍令 (The Szechuan General's Orders) and 英雄們(We the Heroes Must Win at the Dadu River). Each time, I hear them, images of the fighting scenes would float into my mind. P.S. Kung Fu Hustle used most of them, although done in a more modern way.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Roh9-Kdb-E&fbclid=IwAR1kyttvor7-Mvbi_EgrgGQp7squqvK3OUBop4GI8ugcvsHG7g3sTFKtUxY

The most famous song for such fighting scenes in my opinion is the third movement of "The Fisherman Song of the Eastern Ocean", aka "The Dragon Palace of the Eastern Ocean".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2Ep-Gy5V48

During the more tender moments, the scene music is taken from the first movement of the piece, "The Butterfly Pea Blooms"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywu89A6jSdg

Looking back at these old Cantonese movies, the actors were so young and handsome, like an American kid growing up with a Jimmy Steward or Troy Donahue movie..., Or of later generations with Athreyu and Bastion in the Never Ending Story...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aacv0-Gv7_k

And thanks to them, the result of their inspiration for one...

雄壯精勃曾一刻, Once upon a brief moment, we were young and full of vitality,
嵗月莫惜萬世隔. How the aeons had gone by, Time has no fondness for us all. 
東風只曉醉年華, And the East Wind only knows how to enthrall the youthfulness,
醒來酒去夢中客. Upon wakening, gone is the inebriation, realizing we are just but guests in our dreams.

恨今事舊杯再盡, Regretting that today's things had grown too old and to my cups - bottoms up once more, 
風催花魂辭古柏. The wind hastens the flower souls bade farewell to old cypresses. 
重渡瑤池春色回, To the Jasper Pools I cross, returning to eternal spring,
休顧紅塵青山白. Nary a care for the mortal world, whether the green mountain had capped in white or not.

幽悠舊事 Something From Aeons Past

While searching for some past information of aeons ago, I found something even earlier - a worm eaten notebook containing some my earliest poetry. Time had erased the memory of having an interest in such pursuits. Perhaps, it's because I had found love. And thank goodness I saved everything that may be of sentimental value even when they are not pleasant.

Of course in those days, my poems are coarse and not conforming to any strict rhyming scheme but the imagery is there. This rhyming skill was just "mastered" only two years ago with the help of the internet. The translation is today's. And if I have the time, hopefully they will be polished.

This one is from my army basic training days, still a teenager of eighteen.

高掛星河明月光, Hung high above the Milky Way is the moon so bright,
花間宇宙島上牢. In this flowery universe of an island imprisoned that I am.
日辛夜苦有誰知, Days I toiled and nights I slaved but who wouldst know?
三月災難如三秋. A time of three months is like three years straight.

東方旭日初破曉, Dawn is breaking on the eastern front,
五藏未祭雷霆嚮. And rumbling is heard - my stomach had no sacrifice yet.
只見蜿蜒人綫長, All I see are long wriggling lines of gods,
不知入廟拜何時, At what time into the temple to be served, I know not.

往日春 - Springtime of Yesteryears

This started when I was doodling with my calligraphy practice.  The first line, a common phrase is what that led me to cap it as a couplet...

嵗月不留人, Time retains no one,
春風皆是夢. All the winds of spring are just memories.
水流往日事, Flowing with time flows the days of old,
遲早化成空. Sooner or later, nothingness they shall be.

Monday, October 29, 2018

A few days later, I began to write another version with the restriction of the first two lines as a couplet removed.  I just wanted to have more rhyming and as such, the rhyming scheme is changed and content on a more personal level.

嵗月不留人, Time retains no one,
春宵舊日尋. For a night of spring is to seek the days of old.
醉夢從前事, In drunken stupor, I dream of yesteryears.
醒後雨淚恨. And upon awakening, in torrential tears of regret.

櫻花夢 - Cherry Blossom Dream

This poem was mainly inspired by Alfred Hause's Tango version of When Will My Love Return? (何日君再來, Ho Rin Chin Sai Rai), a very popular Chinese song in Pre-War Japan.  It is also that this version that I was introduced to as a teenager.  I even once had the vinyl album!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehokUX9U-DE

There are other elements of the poem on which I had drawn from Chinese mythology but the main theme is of course from the anime, Your Name? 君の名は Kimi No Namae Wa

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4dZhQaTJMk

道上兩傍櫻花朝 On both sides of the path are cherry blooms I wouldst view,

細雨霏滴行人少 Drizzling drips of rain, passersby are so few.

屐步冉傳來音報 Sounds of click-clacking clogs slowly caught my attention,

烟雲漸退露古橋 Just as the mists steadily receding, an ancient bridge revealed.

紫藤着物青傘持 Clad in a kimono of wisteria design and a blue parasol held,

玉顏桃腮帶隱笑 Of jade white complexion and peach bloom cheeks, secret smiles in hiding.

二者如舟夜水渡 Alas, the two of us are like ships passing each other in the night,

夢中唯作比翼鳥¹Only in dreams, inseparable lovebirds that we were meant to be.

月老²仙氣來風起With a divine breath blown from the Old-Man-Of-The-Moon, a gust of wind rose,

青傘撲向我身邀 Towards me that blue parasol came, my body wouldst most gladly intercept.

借機送還貴稱甚³An opportunity presented in returning, I asked for thy name,

鶯語一聲含情謝⁴In a most sonorous tenderness, a word of thanks uttered.

南柯⁵天弄有心人,Fie! fie! Heaven tricketh those who dreams of the Southern Bough.

超悅騰飛外九霄. In super euphoria, my soul had flown beyond the Nine Heavens,

忽聞霹靂震夢破⁶,Right then a sudden thunderous clap broke my reverie,

紫藤影踪再莫曉. Nary a trace of the purple wisteria seen.

青澀無知從何繼, Young and green, I knoweth not how to continue after thanking you,

欲顧眼前若有表. I yearned to turn my head around to see all that before me hast interest,

却羞言吐芳心語, And yet too embarrassing 'tis for me to pour out my heartfelt words to thee,

君識石立就此了. But thou who wouldst just stand like a statue and thus nothing more.

1. In Chinese Mythology, these birds has only one wing.  In order to fly, two birds must be connected and fly as one.  So it is synonymous as lovers.  Another mythical creature is the one sided fish in which two are needed to swim.  These are called 鰜鰈. The modern meaning is "plice" and name for other kinds of flat fishes.

2. The Old-Man-In-The-Moon controls the destiny of lovers.  When a person is born, an invisible red thread is tied to its toe and the other end to his or her beloved.  Whether separated by time or distance, they will find each other in the end. However, there are times, when this string can be severed...

3. The use of the umbrella as an excuse for getting to know each other is from the Madame White Snake in which the heroine uses the borrowed umbrella during a "chance" meeting in the rain to entice the hero in coming to her place - a test if he has interest in her.

4. 謝 can also mean her last name.  This is such a delicious pun that I rather violate the rhyming rules than not to use it.

5. http://jeffinous.blogspot.com/2011/02/dream-of-southern-bough-chinese-antz.html

6. This alludes to The Painted Wall, 畫壁, a story from Strange Tales of a Chinese Studio, 聊齋  where a visiting scholar to a temple went into a wall mural of fairies and lived a life with the goddess whom he fell in love when he first gazed upon her picture.  One day, a War God came and the scholar was told to hide under the bed until he was gone.  After what seemed many hours had gone by, there was a thunderous clap and a voice telling him that it was time for him to leave.  It was the old Abbot knocking on the wall.  Suddenly the scholar found himself outside of the mural once more and upon the mural, the Goddess had now donned on the coiffure of a married woman.

https://archive.org/stream/strangestoriesfr01pusuuoft/strangestoriesfr01pusuuoft_djvu.txt

Thursday, October 25, 2018

遊夢怨 - A Lamenting Dream

Again I was inspired by the song, 鴛鴦江月夜(春江花月夜) by Lisa Wang (汪明荃). This time, the inspired words are 夜月江水

http://jeffinous.blogspot.com/2018/10/untitled.html

夜月魂遊江水明, As the late moon dreams, the river gleams,
舟上獨曲銀波影. A little boat's lonely melody boat singing out the silvery waves. 
借醉花嬌相思恨, In my stupor of forlorn and regret, the flowers justifiably looked exquisite,
遍望刻刻無限情. Each time looked, unending love is everywhere.
微吹風冷蟾宮寒, The gentle breeze blows coldly, making the Lunar Palace even colder,
不時露甘瑶池成. But from time to time, sweet is the dew becometh and a Japser Pool's reality maketh.
忽敏弦斷散烟飛, Suddenly that sensitive string snapped and mists dissipated,
離鴻驚破夢景命. And life in a dream jarred by discordance of the departing swan.
   

Friday, October 19, 2018

無題 - Untitled

This poem was the result of a mistake.  I misheard the words sung in 鴛鴦江月夜(春江花月夜) by Lisa Wang (汪明荃).  I mistook 江前 (river front) to be 花鈿 (Tang Dynasty flower ornaments for the glabella).  What a lucky mistake.  Other keywords I took from the song were 寒蟬 (cold cicada) and 舊盟 (old pact).

The song and complete lyrics can be found at:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDzo2g7FNqQ&list=RDwDzo2g7FNqQ&start_radio=1

I came to know of her when played the role of Pearl Concubine in the Hong Kong TV series of 清宮殘夢 (Shattered Dreams of the Ch'ing Palace) in 1975. I was still a teenager then... Sigh...

沉星冷月照花鈿 The setting stars and the cold moon are shining on the glabella flower inlay,

曉日寒蟬門外纏 In the morning sun, the shivering cicadas are becoming pesky outside the door.

東紅難守夢中盟 As the east glows redder, our pact in my dreams are more difficult to fulfill,

不聞夜鶯1再盡憐 No longer do I hear the utmost sympathy from the mockingbird.

1.  Actually, 夜鶯 means nightingale.  However, no matter beautiful a song it may be, it becomes annoying when one gets no sleep!  It is just like a rose in the middle of the wheat field is a weed rather than a prized ornamental plant.

Autumn Colors - 秋色

Inspired by my coming autumn vacation in Kyoto...

秋時楓衣嵐山夢 With the changing attire of maples in autumn, I will be dreaming of Arashiyama,

橋上借意渡月逢 What an idea for a chance encounter on the bridge with the crossing moon1.

熙來攘去盡難訴 In this hustle and bustle, how is my heart to pour out to thee,

唯歎緣在桂川松 Alas my fate is sealed with the pines by the Katsura River.

1. Togetsukyo literally means "moon crossing bridge".

Weltschmerz - 世殢

This was inspired by The Great Compassion Mantra 大悲咒.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSbxEDsf2p0

西曇幽處春風借,A quiet westside corner is where the borrowed spring wind blooms the "Queen of the Night",
北斗未殘花先謝.Even before the Big Dipper withers, the flowers will be spent.
古松千年萬世青,The ancient pines of a thousand years will remain green for aeons to come.
逍遙日蜉不忌夜.And day mayflies are free and unfettered, dreading not of the coming night.

流光速速亦冉冉,Whether time flows swiftly or in slowness,
年華匆匆又奢奢.Youth is reckless and fills with indulgence.
乾坤歲月大限盡,Even when the grand lifetimes of heaven and earth are no more,
唯我紅塵依難舍.My yearning for this mundane world will never cease.

人生短短 - Life's Short

As I practised my brush writing, I lamented the follies of my youth; not starting on this pursuit when I was a child.  I yearn how much time I had frittered away; how much more time left before perfecting my handwriting?

層層危樓更無限 Each tier of this high tower, each tier of greater view,

西邊烏斑疑飛雁 Darkened spots in the west, I wondered if they are flying geese.

陶醉光景幾何久 How long would one be inebriated by this scene?

夕陽沉沉墨人間 The setting sun slowly inking the mortal world.

An Updated Reply To Someone's Poem To Me...

About seven years ago, on 05 Apr 2011, someone wrote a poem to me...

蘭花氣質比天仙 Orchid fragrance better than those of a fairy
天生註定世人賞 Only destined to be enjoyed by others. 
幾度花落紅庭院 How often had the flowers fallen, 
花謝花飛飛滿庭 All over the red1 courtyard, withering in flight.
春風艷色未挽留 No spring wind can bring them back2.

色消香斷奈何天 Alas, colors have faded, fragrance stopped. 
往日風流朱顏改 Merriment days of yore; no longer rosy of now 
紅樓玉壁依然在 Cinnabar buildings and walls of jade still remain. 
低聲嘆氣我自憐 In whispers and sighs in self-pity.
自古紅顏多薄命 From time immemorial, such are the sad lives of pretty maidens.

 My updated reply:

 After many years, two ex-lovers meet.  It describes the scene of this chance
 meeting.  I never like my women characters to be weak and fragile.

一滴珠淚千古恨,  One tear drop, regret of a thousand ages,
揮扇遮隔眼前塵3,With a swish of her fan to shield all that is before her.
秋波隱隱萬世愁.  Her eyes hid a myriad lifetimes of sorrow.
回首釵摇不顧聞.Turning4 her head, her hairpin danglers5 swayed, caring to hear no more.

1.    In the original poem, there are mention of “red buildings/mansions/towers” and red courtyards.  These are residence of the nobility.  By imperial law of those times, no common people are allowed to have red colored walls.  Special dispensation must be granted by the emperor.  Yellow is reserved for imperial use and therefore no nobility can use that color either.  The rich may adorned their homes with other colors.

2.   Actually the translation should be, “No spring wind can retain their fading beauty.”  I find this is too explicit in English.  In this way, it makes readers have a more vivid imagination.

3.   The red dust means the vulgar world with all its gory comings and goings.

4.    回首, "turning the head back" can also mean "return to whence it came from".

5.   Ancient Chinese women adorned their hair with elaborate hairpins unlike those of today.  The more elaborate ones are like tassels and can hang to their shoulders.  These metallic accoutrements can be used as a weapon either to stab the attacker or to use as means of committing suicide.  These tassels are also known as步搖 literally, “step swayers”.  I prefer to translate them as “step danglers”.  Here’s a photo for easier reference.

淮上漁者 Fisherman on River Huai

白頭波上白頭翁，Upon the white crested waves, a white-crested wizened fellow,

家逐船移浦浦風。Home is where his boat brings him by the soughing wind.
一尺鱸魚新釣得，And when a foot long perch newly baited,

兒孫吹火荻花中。His offspring and theirs upon dried reeds blew; fire sparks grew; like miscanthus plumes flew.

浦 means bank.  However, 浦浦 here is an onomatopoeia of the wind sound.  In some versions, the first 浦 is replaced by 江 (river).  Then the translation would be, Home is the bank where the wind brings his boat to.

Do you know how difficult it is to burn the even dried feathery blooms of the miscanthus?  So I reject the notion of the family trying to use these dried reed flowers as fuel.

黄鶴樓 The Yellow Crane Tower

   

The Yellow Crane Tower was a magnificent tower built in 223 A.D. It was destroyed a number of times throughout history due to fires and wars.  The last rebuilt was in 1868 but was completely burnt down sixteen years later.  In 1981, it was rebuilt with modern materials about half a mile away from the original site due to the original location being used by one trestle of the Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge.  The modern Tower was completed in 1985.

1871

Legend has it that the tower was built as a gratitude to the wealth made by a small wine tavern.  One day, a Taoist priest came begging for wine.  The owner ignored him but the son was kind and gave him some for free.  For half a year, it was thus.  On the last day, the priest told the lad that as gratitude for his kindness, he would paint a yellow crane on the wall.  Each time, the picture was clapped at by the son, the crane will fly down and dance for all to see before returning to the wall.  In later times, there were other stories that mortals would ride on cranes and flew away to become immortals.

Present Day

The fame of this tower was due to an eighth century poem by Cui Hao (崔顥),

昔人已乘黃鶴去,  Bygone days of those on yellow cranes riding away,

此地空餘黃鶴樓.  'Tis lonely place -- the Yellow Crane Tower that remains.

黃鶴一去不復返,  Once the cranes are gone, never do they return,

白雲千載空悠悠.  A thousand years, white clouds float in aimless unhurriedness.

晴川歷歷漢陽樹,The River is bright with each Hanyang tree in vivid reflection,

芳草萋萋鸚鵡州.With fragrant grasses of Parrot Island grow in luxuriance.

日暮鄉關何處是, The sun is setting and which road leads to hometown,
煙波江上使人愁  The mist on the River helps not, but in sorrow for one.


Each floor of the modern tower is themed differently.  The top most floor is for scenic viewing of the surrounding areas.

The next one down is reserved for visiting poets of renown.  The general public is allowed to view the inside desks, calligraphy accoutrements, etc from the outside.

On the second floor is a marble slab on which is written the characters of  "The story of the Yellow Crane Tower" (黄鶴樓記).  Here the stories about the rise and fall of the tower through the ages, various poems about the Tower by famous poets along with famous personage associated with the place are displayed on the walls.

On the ground floor is the "White Clouds Yellow Crane" (白雲黄鶴 ) mythological theme.  The depiction is made from  ceramic tiles.  On the pillars bear the following couplet,

爽氣西來雲霧掃開天地憾 

大江東去波濤洗淨古今愁 

Westerly refreshing gusts cometh, the clouds and mists sweeping away regrets of Heaven and Earth.

Easterly the Mighty River floweth, its ripples and waves purifying sorrows of the past and present.

Finally from my paltry learning,  this poem was inspired by the catchy title song of Leisure Wanderings (逍遙遊 ) from the series, The Eastern Journey (東遊記) which tells the stories of the Eight Immortals (八仙 ) and their adventures.  One story in it was how Lu Dong Bing (呂洞賓) attains his immortality by riding on a crane at this Tower.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4iG8movPNI

白雲萬世逍遙遊 

White clouds had been wandering without care for eternity,

黄鶴千杯醉閑求 

At the Yellow Crane, a thousand cups is where I seek in drunken leisure.

青天乘風樓空去 

On winds I rode into the blue sky and the Tower is now alone.

紅塵仙界別何有 

To the red dust of the mundane world; to the immortal realm, a farewell bid?

There are two interpretations depending on the meaning of the last line.  别 can mean "to part" or "difference".  If the first meaning is taken, then the one riding the wind is an immortal and though he may be leaving but in the future, would return.  If "difference" is taken, then "riding the wind" is a euphemism to mean "to die" and so the rhetorical question of "Any difference between the red dust of the mundane world and the immortal realm?"

Friday, January 26, 2018

Royal Palms Beach, Palos Verdes, California.

二月陽光半海銀, February sunshine turning the sea half in silver,
天青寒盡片無雲. The sky is blue and nary is there the cold nor a cloud be seen.
濤擊波鼓催眠醉, Thunderous waves tom-toming into a stupor lull.
鷗叫一驚醒夢人. When a gull's screeching breaks the spell of the entranced.

Where Clouds Are Born

  
It all started when I was doodling at my brush writing when I nonchalantly wrote,

雲間生處仙境洞 Where clouds are born, there is a fairy grotto,
千年一瞬烟水夢 A thousand years is like a misty dream of a moment.

I was stuck and knew further progress was not possible. Later at 3am, I was awakened by a dryness in my mouth. After quenching my thirst, I came back to bed but was unable to sleep. My mind's activity was escalating exponentially. In the end, with one character changed, I morphed the first line into,

白雲生處仙境洞 Where white clouds are born, there is a fairy grotto

and use the second line as the concluding one. Completing the second and third lines would now be the task at hand. But before I can do so, "Where white clouds are born", looks like a familiar friend. It did not take me long to realize that it is the second line from Tu Fu's 山行, Mountain Wanderings.

遠上寒山石徑斜 The long stony path is steep and cold is the mountain,
白雲生處有人家 Where there is smoke of white, houses will there be.
停車坐愛楓林晚 My carriage stopped -- by the beauty of the evening maple forest,
霜葉紅於二月花 Even the frosted leaves looked redder than those of apricot blooms.

Let me digress for a moment for some footnotes...

1. Because of the rhyming rules, the Mandarin pronunciation of 斜 (xié) is pronounced as xiá to match that of 家 and 花.

2. In some versions, 生 in the second line is replaced by 深 (deep). However, in my opinion, this makes no sense. The mountain is steep. It would be extremely inconvenient to have a horse carriage drawn up there. At the same time, once in the mountain, how could the splendor of the maple forest be viewed most effectively? I am sure that the poet was not in the mountain but at a distance away. He was describing the scenery from this vantage point. He saw white plumes of smoke rising and hence deduced that there are human dwellings. Poetic licence is taken here. In some interpretations, the poet was said to be visiting his friends. It would be very callous of him; being a high official to break his engagement. There is no cell phone back then!

3. At the first glance, the third can be translated as "stopping the carriage and sit down to 'love' (enjoy) the maple forest in the evening. Has anyone ever see anyone standing in a carriage even for a short drive! If one consults a dictionary, there are many meanings to 坐. As a preposition, it means 'because'.

4. To translate 二月花 as 'February blooms' is misleading since the Gregorian calendar is not used until Imperial Rule has ended. "Blooms of the second month" is acceptable but I find it more poetic to use the flower representation of month instead. Apricot flowers are often orange in color but tinged in pink. So it makes sense that even frosted red maples leaves would look redder.

Now back to my poem...

Since my first line is borrowed from the classics, I might as well do the same for the second line, or at least in some variation. What would be poetic enough to match "white clouds" and fits into the scheme of things? All I could think of, is the first line of Li Shan-yin's Sui Palace, 紫泉宮殿烟鎖霞. Mists enshrouding the Palace of the Purple Spring and obscuring the evening clouds,. Later did I found out from further research that the 'purple spring' is a place where immortals quench their thirst.

I was tossing left and right in bed, racking my brains to come up with something for the third line to tie everything together. Finally, I had the answer. Two nights ago, I watched a Japanese classic, Kwaidan (怪談) on a Blu-ray. It was not the content of the movie that inspired me but by the ethnicity of the movie. It popped the tale of Urashima Taro into my mind...

A young fisherman saved a turtle and out of gratitude, it took the fisherman to the Dragon Palace under the sea where he was entertained and eventually married to the Princess. After sometime, he grew homesick and wanted to return home. The princess entreated him to stay, but of no avail. Finally she gave him a box, telling him never to open if he ever wanted to return. Upon his arrival, he found everything in his hometown had changed. The people he knew were all gone. Everyone he saw or talked to was a stranger. In the end, he learnt the truth that three hundred years had gone by, or in some versions, 33 generations had passed. As there is nothing there for him be nostalgic of, he decided to return to the ocean. He called out to the turtle and as he waited, he thought of the forbidden box. Temptation proved too great for him and upon opening it, a purple butterfly flew out. He was immediately turned into an old man and died.

Using a Japanese story is not well suited in a Chinese setting. No fear! I know of a similar Chinese Rip Van Winkle version...

There was a young woodcutter who one day ventured deeply into the woods than he had ever been. There he espied two men playing chess. Being an avid player himself, he put down his axe and bundle. He stood quietly as an observer to the game. After awhile, he noticed that whenever a black chess piece was placed on the chessboard, plants would grow; and flowers would bloom. A white piece placed -- plants would wither and die. The game was long and the moves were unexpected. He learnt much from the game. At last when the game drew to a close, he thanked the gentlemen for letting him observe the game. They in turn thanked him for not disturbing their game. As he was about to leave, the woodcutter noticed that his axe had rusted; the handle rotted away and his bundle nowhere to be seen. Everything was unfamiliar to him when he reached his village. On further inquiry, he found that a hundred years had passed. He had been watching a game of life played out by the God of the Hours and the God of Longevity. Unlike the macabre Japanese version, nothing was said about the physical state of the woodcutter. Perhaps a cautionary tale to warn that time is precious and never be squandered away.

This story perfectly fits into my poem's theme but I have added a twist. The concluding line was also changed because "a thousand years" is too much an exaggeration. To spare my readers from the boredom of my polishing the poem, here's the result.

白雲生處野仙踪 Where white clouds are born, will there be traces of wild faeries,
清泉紫流烟鎖紅 The Purple Spring flows pure in misty red.
若見二者棋即離 And when upon two at chess espied, depart with all haste,
莫待百年瞬一空 Wait not for a hundred years vanish in a blink of an eye.