Unexpected Inspiration Source

Like the California drought, my well of creativity was drying out. Thank goodness I chanced to look up the profile of a member in Facebook’s Chinese Poetry Group, Ryan Law. I was both impressed and inspired by a couplet he wrote… The words 夕陽 triggered a gush of temporary respite.

夕陽深淵非為也, 嵩山霚練建吾華.

This new poem started off as a four-line poem but due to technical difficulties and other reasons, it was expanded to four more to give it a sense of closure while I was contemplating on the other poem that was inspired by a photo that Ryan had sent me with another poem he had written.

1 殘霞力倦夜難禁 The residual evening clouds no longer have the strength to keep Night at bay,
2 縹緲風至江曲暗 Across the river, came wafting along with the breeze is a faint melody.
3 觸回梨園舊陳事 Evoking long gone memories of the Peach Garden,
4 停杯欲想誰家音 Pausing the cup, I thought of the tune and the one behind it.

5 銀河萬點雙星淚 The myriad points of light in the Milky Way are but tears of the Twin Stars,
6 歲歲朝朝滴滴深 Year after year, day after day, drip after drip, each so deep.
7 舉杯問天嫦娥伴 Raising my cup, I asked Heaven for the Goddess of the Moon as my companion,
8 廣寒寂寞照芳林 And the Palace of the Great Cold shines in loneliness over the fragrance of the forest.

2 Somehow 縹緲峰, the Peak of Ethereality, was triggered in my mind. This was a place in the martial arts novel, Heavenly Dragon In Eight Parts aka Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils (for commercial success), 天龍八部, where it was a refuge for a pugilistic master. 峰 and 風 have the same sound. The idea in this line is lifted from Tu Mu’s 泊秦淮, A Night Mooring at the Chin Hwai River.

3 Pear Garden was the first so-called music academy in China. It was established in the reign of Tang Hsuan Tsung. It was so named because the place was surrounded by pear trees. Nowadays, “Pear Garden” means Chinese Opera performers. The manager/owner of the troupe always plays the role of a buffoon or a clown in deference to the Emperor who was fond of this role.

5 Obviously, the music must be sorrowful enough to evoke the thoughts of the poet. The twin stars refer to Altair and Vega. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cowherd_and_the_Weaver_Girl

7 The Weaver Girl secretly stole out of heavens to enter an illicit affair in the eyes of Heaven. The couple was cruelly punished for eternity. The poet wisely did not ask the Goddess directly but through Heaven. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chang%27e

8 It is not clear if the wish was granted. If it were, the lunar palace would be lonely with its mistress gone down to earth to be with the poet. On the other hand, the request was not granted or that the Goddess refused, preferring loneliness and to shine over the mountain forest rather than to be with a mere mortal. I like the latter reasoning. The Goddess represents the one behind the melody. The poet had momentarily wished for a meeting but in the end, his sadness overcame his curiosity.

Wednesday, May 4, 2022