Rouge Of Heaven

While strolling at the marina I was inspired 

by these photos. The final version was translated literally since an interpretative one would be too long and unwieldy.

1 霄漢胭脂染水紅 Rouge of Heaven is tainting the waters red,

2 天河銀閃照古松 Still the celestial river shines upon the mountain pines.
3 入林姑蘇寒山寺 Retiring into the Cold Mountain Monastery of Kusu,
4 兩岸靜泊漁舟夢 Looking back are fishing boats banked in unperturbed dreams.

1 霄漢 refers to clouds and the Milky Way, and by extension to the imperial court or the emperor. In this case specifically referring to Wu Tze Tien – the only female emperor in Chinese history. Red is also the color of blood. Thus, this line refers to the bloodshed of thousands so that one person can reach the pinnacle.

2 “celestial river” – the Milky Way whose light symbolizes purity, like the moon. Pine is synonymous with righteousness and resilient to the harsh conditions of winter. The mountains symbolize remoteness and mountain pines thus is referred to banished officials.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Friends_of_Winter

3 入林 – “entering forest” – retirement from officialdom.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanshan_Temple

4 Yearning for a simple life, like fishermen who dream only of a bountiful catch the next day. It does not matter whether 夢 functions as a verb or noun.

Tuesday, July 19, 2022

Twilight

Twilight at the Alligator Park

1 湖水漸銀夕陽狠 Heartless is the setting sun as the lake is slowing turning silvery,
2 桃花凋落更愁人 Sadder still when peach blossoms withered and fell.
3 茶代酒絕嫦娥冷 Tea is no substitute for wine - for the moon seemed so frigid,
4 依舊寒染照紅塵 As always, shining and tainting the mortal realm in coldness.

1 The lake waters are dark in the day but as evening, approaches, it turns silvery, a metaphor for one’s black hair turning white. 

2 These first two lines speak of fading youth into old age.

3 絕 and 盡 share the basic meaning of "no more, terminal". 絕 carries the notion of an external force to cause whatever to stop or no longer in existence. 盡 on the other hand is done by its own volition. In this context, health reason is the external cause. Tea is not strong enough to warm the body and inebriate. 嫦娥 is the Goddess of the moon and because the poet is no longer young, he felt that she is shunning him.

4 This line infers inebriation befuddles people to think the moon can be loving. 染 is used because the moonlight is always cold and indifferent just like its mistress, being frigid. All the three meanings of frigid can be applied. “red dust” Buddhist term for the mundane world.

Sunday, July 17, 2022

The Bottomless Human Heart

 

While doodling with my brush writing…However, during a walk in the alligator park, I happened to look up the sky and there was a dragon-like cloud formation. The original theme was changed - that when we are in contentment, surrounding beauty will become more apparent.

1 天因雲龍戲 The skies are for cloud dragons to frolic,
2 夜為銀河流 And night’s the reason for the Silver River to flow.
3 山上紫烟存 On mountain tops are where purple mists exist,
4 洞中桃源有 And in grottoes - paradise can be found.

5 凡塵榮華貴 In the mortal realm, glory and power are looked upon with awe,
6 蓬萊夢裡求 And in impossible dreams - forever searching,
7 難滿人心慾 Never will desires of the human heart be ever filled,
8 不足富亦愁 Even wallowing in wealth, sorrows still abound.

1 Chinese believe that that there are nine layers of heaven versus seven in the West. Without the photo that inspired this poem, it would be difficult to guess what cloud dragons are.

2 Silver River is the Chinese term for the Milky Way. Obviously the waters are the myriad of stars blinking away.

3 Purple is the color of auspicious magic and it was believed that fairy pools/springs exist in remote areas of mountains. It’s not the color of the water but the reflection of the purple mists hovering over them. 存 and 泉 share the same sound in Cantonese.

4 The peach blossom spring is located after going through a grotto.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Peach_Blossom_Spring.

6 Here it is used as an adjective phrase to mean the impossible. Nary a mortal’s feet had set upon the place.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Penglai

8 My adaptation of a common saying, 知足者貧亦樂, 不足者富亦憂 which in turn is derived from Lao Tzu’s 罪莫大於可欲, 禍莫大於不知足, 咎莫大於欲得. 故知足之足, 常足矣.

Tuesday, July 12, 2022

Upon Awakening

This came about because I could not remember a dream that I had…

1 人生夢景泡影浪 Nothing more than shadows of crashing waves, life is a series of dreamscapes,
2 醒後辭告瑣碎忘 And upon awakening, a fare-thee-well to all things minutiae.
3 東路西向無歸還 All eastern roads will end in the west and nary a ticket home,
4 別春何挽雪淚降 How could parting spring be detained and not let tears of snow fall?

2 First the details and then the entire dream will fade away as time passes.

3 East is the direction of life because that’s where the sun rises and west is where the sun sets. 上/去西天, 歸西 etc. are euphemisms for death.

4 Spring - the time of life and youth. Winter - the time of old age and death.

Tuesday, July 12, 2022

The Silent Zither

This was inspired by the first line while practising my brush writing,

1 古琴聲盡燭淚影 The ancient zither is silent but the candle still weeps.
2 窗外寒泠月無情 Outside the window are where the cold and the heartless moon are.
3 前夢歌宴散如烟 Dissipated like mists are the wine banquets and songs of a former dream,
4 紛飛夜雪寂寞迎 And late are the snowflakes to welcome my loneliness.

1 古琴 literally means "ancient fretless zither". 古箏 on the other hand is one with movable frets and is very similar to the Japanese Koto. Dripping wax looks as like tears dripping.

古琴 

古箏

2 The moon is heartless and so is not around for the poet.

4 夜 can either mean “night” or “late”.

Sunday, July 10, 2022

The Moon and Fireworks

This one was inspired by a night walk on the Marina when a lone firework was fired high up into the air beyond the waters by the hill. The moon was full… By the end of the walk, I had the basic structure but needed more refinements.

1 明月當空海上銀 Up in the sky is the moon over a sea of silver,
2 烟花塵世鬭光亮 And fireworks of the mortal world vying with celestial brilliance.
3 萬紫千紅何能久 How long can these multitude colors last?
4 寒宮仍照舊波浪 Only the Cold Palace still shines on the same old waves.

2 Fireworks is a metaphor for whatever brilliance humankind has created or that the world like a fireworks display, brilliant but short lived.

3 Literally, ten-thousand purples and a thousand reds.

4 The lunar palace is known the “Great Cold”. The name carries a hint of a woman’s coldness or frigidity towards her.

Sunday, Jul 10, 2022

Teahouse Respite

Butchart Gardens - 05 Jun 2022

1 亭前花開誘路人 Before the roadside teahouse are blossoms to entice passersby,
2 紅艷綠靜弄詩韻 Seductive reds and subdued greens to tease a poet’s rhyming.
3 世上自閑幾何得 When would we give ourselves to the luxury of having leisure?
4 茶水半壺歇今辰 With half a jug of watered down tea, a few moments in respite!

1 In ancient times, small teashops along well-traveled roads for weary travelers to rest and enjoy a cup of tea. Most were run by locals. It is also considered a great way to accumulate merits for afterlife as a charity. Flowers can also refer to a pretty maid, usually the owner’s daughter to help out the business. Family members are preferred since they can be trusted and not to mention any money earned is kept within the family.

2 Red is used to describe the rosy beauty of youth and green for her graceful demeanor. The first four characters were unabashedly adapted from 李清照’s lyrical poem, 如夢令,

昨夜雨疏風驟
濃睡不消殘酒.
試問卷簾人,
卻道海棠依舊.
知否, 知否?
應是綠肥紅瘦

3 One interpretation could be scurrying travelers are too busy to notice the beauty around them. Another is a rhetorical question that the poet is asking himself when the last time he had enjoyed himself leisurely sipping a cup of tea and the eye candy before him!

4 茶水, “tea water” means a large quantity of water is used to brew inexpensive tea. 茶水淡飯 is a self-humility phrase said to avoid bragging about one’s wealth – Chinese social etiquette. As plain rice has no taste, 淡 means there are no accompanying meats, vegetables and condiments. Traditional Chinese would coil in horror in their minds when westerners brag to the world how beautiful their wives are or smart their children are. A Chinese would humbly state his wife is as yellow as dried up old lady, 黄臉婆 or their sons as scions of dogs, 犬子. This is to prevent themselves for committing hubris. Even if the child is indeed a renowned doctor, it is preferable say “a little doctor of no importance” 小醫生. This would elicit an expected polite reply of “You are too humble” etc. This way, both sides would not incur jealousy or arrogance to each other.

Thursday, July 07, 2022

Inebriated Eyes

While walking at Cabrillo Beach, saw three trees growing by the sea… The original line was 秦淮河畔三妹影.

1 秦淮河畔柳腰影 By the banks of Qingwai are the shadows of the willow waisted,
2 風到裙起客相迎 Along came the winds, skirts in billow to greet the guests.
3華燈大紅照路引 With huge lanterns shining in red to lead the way,
4 醉眼昏花更多情 They seemed more passionate to the inebriated eyes.

1 The red light district in ancient China. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qinhuai_River. “Willow waisted” - the slim waists of the courtesans.

2 “Winds” refer to the clientele. The girls would gleefully get up in haste to welcome the guests who are like the wind that comes and goes.

3 Red is a lucky color to the Chinese and hence brothels or places of business usually hang blood red lanterns at the front gates.

4 It could be the lanterns that looked so alluring but I think alcohol and women always go hand in hand than with lanterns.

Gateway To Paradise

I had planned for a long time for a couplet to be written on the gateway to my bamboo backyard using 莫愁 to build upon but nothing came out of it. Then while doodling with my brush one day when suddenly these lines into my mind.

1 竹林青翠鳥歌賽 The verdant bamboo forest is where twittering birds go for their songfest,
2 花香迷離醉人呆 Such is the fragrance of flowers stupefying anyone into a bleary state.
3 此進愁別非世塵 With this entry, goodbye to sorrow, an earthly place no longer be,
4 凡間逍遙亦蓬萊 If free and unfettered, even the mortal realm becomes paradise.

3 世塵 world dust refers to the mundane world.

4 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Penglai

Friday, July 1, 2022