This classical piece was introduced to me by Betty who wanted me to write a piece of calligraphy for her. Of course, I was flattered...
02 山不在高, 有仙則名; Hills need no great height to achieve fame if it is the abode of immortals.
03 水不在深, 有龍則靈. Rivers need no great depth to become mystical if dragons live in it.
04 斯是陋室, 惟吾德馨. A spartan room needs only my lofty moral character of fragrance.
05 苔痕上階綠, Traces of moss creep upon the steps verdant,
06 草色入簾青; The green grass reflects into my window virescent;
07 談笑有鴻儒, Witty chats from the many learned,
08 往來無白丁. But nary from those mundane.
09 可以調素琴, Where the unadorned zither can be tuned,
10 閱金經; Where flaxen characters of the Classics can be read;
11 無絲竹之亂耳, No string or reed to confuse the ear,
12 無案牘之勞形. No document to tire the body.
13 南陽諸葛廬, The grass hut of Chu Ge Liang in Nanyang.
14 西蜀子雲亭. The literary studio of Tzu Yun of Western Szechuan.
15 孔 子云：Confucius stated:
16 何陋之有 “Whence the spartannese?”
01. 陋 means simple and therefore can be extended to mean spartan, humble etc.
室 can also mean a room. In the old days, the poor a single room is used for multi-purposes except for the backhouse. 宗室 means “the “House of….”, as in the House of the Hapsburg i.e. the imperial clan.
銘 means to engrave, to etch. Here it means an inscription to remind one’s conduct, morals, principles. Later it became a literary style of writing where parallel lines are of the norm.
2-3, 5-6, 7-8, 11-12, 13-14 are such lines.
07. 鴻 here means 洪 – aplenty
08. common people or the illiterate
09. plain looking zithers without elaborate and ornate inlays
10. It can also mean the Buddhist Diamond Sutra or Taoist canons written in gold ink.
11. Stringed and reed musical instruments. Here they are referred to the cacophony of various sects to sway one’s thinking to theirs.
13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhuge_Liang
14. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yang_Xiong_(author) 子雲 literally “the scion of clouds”
15. All those mentioned lived after Confucius. In the Analects, Confucius was once told by someone that a place he is going to live is too spartan. He replied that if a gentleman is there, no matter how spartan, his presence will make the place worthwhile.
Friday, July 03, 2020
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