A Language Thought Experiment.

While lying in bed and unable to sleep… Wrote a Chinese poem using English as the basic language of thinking.

I can only write what I know.
What I know is like the miniscule light of fireflies by a summer’s bog.
How can they be compared to the bright grandeur of an autumn’s full moon?
In my own little way, a mere glimpse of fairyness in this world of mortals.

Same idea but using Chinese this time… Subtle differences emerge in the thought process.

書作之為我所識 I write what I know,
如夏夜畔螢火微 Like summer’s night mere glow of fireflies by the banks.
焉敢攀比中秋月 Dare I compared myself to the mid-autumn moon?
道淺仙氣染紅塵 In tainting the mortal realm with my paltry ascetic knowledge of the Way.

Wednesday, August 23, 2023

Never Happily Ever After II

During my evening jog and continuing on the theme of rainy “night”

1 未央新春雨夜淋 New night spring rain falling upon the Palace of Not-Zenith-Yet,

2 長門妝台舊日塵 And old dust gathering on the dressing table in the Palace of Eternal Gate,

3 離天三尺曾一時 Three feet away from Heaven was once upon a time,

4 隔世萬里而今人 Separated from this world is ten thousand miles of this person of today.

1 The main Han Dynasty palace, the abode of the emperor. A Han concept that it is better to forever reach the zenith because once reached, decay will start. This line means that someone new favorite is receiving the rain and mist from by the emperor, most probably the new second empress, Wei Zifu.

2 Also known as the Long Gate Palace. This is where Han Wu Ti’s first empress, Chen Ah Chiao was exiled to for the remaining days of her life.

3 Heaven here alludes to the emperor.  See Never Happily Ever After I

Wednesday, 23, 2023

Imitating The Masters III

AC Tang from Facebook Group, Chinese Poetry posted…

Learning to write a 五言绝句 from Tang poet 李嶠 LiQi’s work, Wind, known for talking about the wind without ever mentioning “wind”, yet every line paints a dynamic picture showing the power of wind at work.

《風》依風

解落三秋葉,
能開二月花.
過江千尺浪，
入竹萬竿斜。

AC Tang’s version,

炊烟摇不停 cooking smoke wave non stop
柳絮向江横 willow flower towards river horizontal
槳卧扁舟動 oar lain small boat move
雲騰众岭新 cloud rising all mountain anew

Smoke from a chimney waves incessantly
Willow flowers fly horizontally towards the river
An oar sleeps on a small moving boat
Rising clouds renew all across the mountain range

The Master's use a numeric value for each third character on a given line.  My version uses cardinal points instead.

1 捲皺東海浪 Curling waves of the Eastern Ocean like knitted brows
2 飛騰南天門 Soaring to the very Gate of Southern Heaven
3 石走西漠沙 Running stones of the western desert turning into sand
4 鵬昇北冥鯤 And the roc rising from northern dark region leviathan.

1 The eastern ocean is where the Immortal Isles are located.
2 The entrance to the celestial realm
4 alluding to Chuang Tzu’s 逍遙遊

Wednesday, August 23, 2023

Never Happily Ever After I

While walking in the marina and the half moon was shining over the boats…

1 半空月明巳矇矓 The light of the half risen moon had already become hazy,
2 後庭小閣醉花紅 And the small pavilion in the backyard is tipsy in red.
3 離天三尺恨太近 It was then that three feet away from Heaven was too near,
4 金屋有嬌曾經夢 A pampered beauty in the Golden House is now once upon a dream.

1 濛矓 can mean foggy or the befuddled mind.

3 Heaven here means the emperor.  To be so close to the emperor means that person is the second most powerful person in the empire.  This line shows resentment for being too close to him

4 嬌 means pampered girl, beautiful, adorable etc. However, here it alludes to Emperor Han Wu Ti’s first empress whom he owed his position to marrying her, his aunt. Both sides are to be blamed for their failure in their marriage.

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

Wednesday, August 23, 2023

Days Of Long Ago

The first line came to me suddenly while I was washing a dish.

1 遠見山頭甘露臨 Far away, sweet dew approached the mountain tops,
2 一刻久隔三秋心 A heart’s moment of separation is like passing of three autumns long.
3 西湖明月仍未眠 The bright moon of West Lake has yet to sleep,
4 橋上何會雨夜吟 Why would there be sighing on the bridge during a rainy night?

1 Sweet dew means rain.  Can also be interpreted the act of fertilizing the earth.

3 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Lake

Wednesday, August 23, 2023

Imitating The Masters II

The original 驚夢 poem - 題城山晚對軒壁宋•范成大

欲以清風剪綠夢，
瞬息甲子是南柯。
滿湖蛙語鳴不住，
誰與高歌舞芰荷。

AC Tang's version  - 壬寅孟春，讀宋人范成大《人間随處是南柯》，依其韵。

一枕清風剪綠夢，
人間隨處是南柯。
也知睡足當歸去，
不奈溪山留客何。

My version,

1 枕上鴛鴦夢翠荷 The embroidered Mandarin Ducks dream of being under the emerald lotus leaves,

2 昨夜春宵一南柯 Last night’s spring night is nothing more but a Dream of the Southern Bough.

3 妝台秋思舊日塵 Autumn thoughts by the dressing table – are nothing more but dust of the past,

4 寧醉莫怨君在何 Better be drunk than to blame where my Lord is.

1 Embroidered Mandarin Ducks under green lotus leaves on pillows symbolize marital bliss.

2 An allusion to a Tang Dynasty Story.

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

3 Autumn Thoughts By the Dressing Table is a Classical music piece describing the thoughts of Wang Chiao Jun, one of the four greatest beauties in China.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cka1_n8FUWc&t=155s

The music starts at 1:48

Monday, August 21, 2023

Global Warming

Yesterday, the impending storm approached Southern California like a coiling but menacing dragon. Naval ships set sailed to calmer waters in San Diego. People panicked and started to fill up their cars and rushing to get bottled waters. And of course, snarling traffic materialized at the stores. As for me, I was in the comfort of the home, doing house cleaning and waiting eagerly for my thirsty garden to embrace the wetness of the land.

This morning, there was no rain but a cloudy sky. Sure, there were news of San Diego being flooded, flash floods occurring in Palm Springs where streets had become streams. But by late afternoon, the sun came out shining brightly and hotly as if nothing had happened. The storm had whimpered away like some sort of a snake in the grass. For me, it was a disappointment. I wished it could rained for another day for my backyard garden.

I suppose troubles don’t come to those who are prepared. My previous poem about trouble for one place is boon for another holds true. Poetic licence is taken liberally in this creation…

1 昨日無端風雨暴 For no reason, the heavy rains came yesterday,
2 今朝照常老君竃 But this morning, it is hot as usual like the brazier of Lao Tzu.
3 難測生命乃自然 So natural is such life’s unpredictability,
4 夏天翻覆是人造 But the topsy turvy nature of summer is manmade.

1 Referring to California’s first tropical storm since 1939 on 20 Aug 2023.

2 老君 short for 太上老君- the Supreme Venerable Sovereign. He has a furnace to melt the elements to forge his pills of immortality. This line sets up the scenario for the last line.

4 A veiled stab mankind for causing global warming and there are still naysayers out there living in ignorance.

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

Monday, August 21, 2023

A reply from AC Tang from FB’s Poetry Group…

Here comes the poem with English translation。读Jeff Loh雨后七绝，冒昧神游加州雷雨前后。步其韵。

After reading Jeff’s rain poem, I took the liberty of composing a poem based on the scene and mood following the same rhyming.

夏日朝雨震加州 summer day morning rain shock California
坐看疑是九天漏 sit view suspect nine sky leak
庭院有竹逢甘露 courtyard has bamboo meeting sweet dew
清風無意送閑愁  gentle wind without intent send leisure sorrow

A summer morning rain shakes California
I sit and wonder whether water has escaped heaven
In the courtyard, bamboo leaves finally hold sweet dews
My leisurely sorrow is gone with the fresh wind

His 2nd version on 23 Aug 23

Here is a new take with different twist and I fixed the 平仄 problems that were overlooked in the previous version.

無題

夏有風雷起梦中 summer has wind thunder rise from dream
醒来疑是九天惊 waking up suspect is nine heaven shock
晚鐘聲嫩新竹綠 evening bell sound soften new bamboo green
静夜聽它雨後生 silent night listen it rain after grow

In a summer dream,
wind and thunder gathered

I woke and wondered
whether heaven was in shock.

Then, the sound of evening bell
softened the new bamboos

the quietness of this night,
heard the sound of growth
as the rain became absent.

Streetlight In The Rain

This was created during my morning jog… In my mind was a Ghibli like scene of a personified street lamp shining in a rainy night.

1 行人急散喧嘩謝 Pedestrians scattered quickly and the hustle and bustle withered,
2單獨街燈照雨斜 Except for the city lights shining at the slanting rain.
3 風伯殷勤掃盡愁 The Count of Wind with care swept away all sorrows,
4 向誰何問取傘借 From whom should I ask for a borrowed umbrella?

2 單獨 here means “except for…”, or “apart from”. Unlike people, streetlights cannot move and have to face adversity head on.

3 Along with the Count of Wind (風伯), the Duke of Thunder (雷公), Mother of Lightning (電母), Boy of Clouds (雲童) and Master of Rain (雨師), they are in charge of the celestial weather department.

4 Continuing the sarcastic theme of line 2, this is a sour grape situation. Why bother to ask for help when there are no people around implied in the first line.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fengbo_(deity)

Monday, August 21, 2023

Summer Rain

The start of a summer tropical storm for Southern California since 1939. Perhaps because of the devastating fire in Maui, the authorities are being cautious or overly so (depending on one’s viewpoint) that Catalina is being evacuated and the military ships are sailed from the San Diego naval base to calmer waters. The official reason was not to hamper rescue efforts if disaster were to happen. I see no connection. Why can’t the naval ships help in the effort? It’s more to protect them from being damaged!

On the positive side, I welcomed the rain (but not the late afternoon quake at Ventura County) because though the drought had lessened, it is not over yet. My thirsty bamboos will be happy with the free water. The rain stopped around 10am and took the opportunity for my daily jog. However, halfway through, it started to rain again. Was able to get inspired to write this…

1 夏朝忽來雨嘉州 Suddenly on a summer’s morning, comes California in rain,
2 雷電九霄水滴漏 Nine Heavens are leaking! Cracked by lightning and thunder.
3 後庭竹林久渴長 Long had my backyard bamboo forest been in thirsting,
4 一陣清風掃盡愁 And one gust of refreshing wind scattering away all sorrow.

1 雨 can be used as a verb. I like the balance in strokes of 嘉 better than 加. Also, 嘉 means auspicious and thus a good omen that my thirsty garden has a free drink.

2 In Chinese mythology there are nine levels of heaven. This line explains why there is rain in California. The tone of 電 sounds better than the original震.

3 Problems of one place is a boon for another. In this case, a leaky heaven is good for my garden.

4 It could mean that the plants or the author’s sorrow had been dispersed. Figuratively, it can be interpreted as life’s uncertainties that sometimes, help is on the way through unexpected situations. The fire in Maui is a direct result from a faraway Hurricane Dora and while California (especially my garden) benefited from Hurricane Hilary.

Sunday, August 20, 2023

Imitating The Masters I

 

A C Tang of the FB Chinese Poetry Group wrote,

I find it a great way to practice writing Chinese classical poetry by picking a poem of ones liking, and then, taking it into a new physical and emotional space while making allusion to certain elements of the original poem. In such a way, one starts dialogue with a great master. So, here, the master poet is 辛棄疾.

流水弄石舞樹, 

高山拓谷生蟬，
无弦亦可頌華年, 

歌静蛙聲點點
七八首詩天外. 

两三壺酒堂前.
曾年騷客夢猶在, 

柳暗花明重見.

AC’s version

明月別枝惊鵲,

清風半夜鳴蟬.
稻花香里說丰年,

聽取蛙聲一片.

七八个星天外, 

两三點雨山前.
舊時茅店社林邊,

路轉溪橋忽見.

My version,

1 濃雲敝月忽弱, Abruptly, heavy clouds had obscured the moon.
2 輕微水滴靜蟬, And light rain hushing up the cicadas.
3 酒語自吟憶當年, Self-muttering of inebriated words to recall ye days of olde,
4 雨後蛙聲纏綿. The rain stops but the frogs still cling on to their incessant calls.

5 七八亂糟天外, Bringing ruckus the world’s edge and beyond,
6 两三杯嫦娥餞, Two three cups more offered before the Moon Goddess departs.
7 只是今宵愚翁幻, If only just tonight’s fantasy of an old befuddled,
8 夢醒懷舊難眠. The dream shatters but thoughts of yore kept me from my slumber.

1 This sets up for the scenario of the next line to explain the reason for the presence of clouds.

2 Cicadas are symbols of rebirth, transformation and renewal. In Japan, it symbolizes summer. It has a special symbolizing the noisiness of the insect when depicting certain movie scenes.

3 Getting self-pity and consolation through alcohol.

4 Frogs usually croak after a night of rain as it is the appropriate time to mate as streams are filled with water. Of course, this does not happen in the urban areas anymore. Their croaking can reach a crescendo of several levels of decibels in discomfort. I remember my childhood days when my hometown still had patches of a rural setting. This is the crucial line of the poem.

5 The croaking represents the exaggeration of the tumultuous past.

6 This line was inspired by the story of Pigsty in the story of the Monkey King in his former days as the heavenly marshal who tried to take liberties with the Goddess of the Moon in his intoxicated state. As a result, he was banished to the mortal world and in his state, he mistakenly found himself in the womb of a sow and hence was born with features and personalities of a pig.

Friday, August 18, 2023

Reality In The Mirror

1 黃花忽覺春已別 Abruptly, the yellow flowers felt that spring had left,
2 紅塵驚醒鑒中絕 Startled by reality that the beauty in the mirror had gone.
3風冷情薄如郎心 Heartless is like the cold wind of a lover’s heart,
4 淚啞滿天雲蔽月 Muted tears of fill the sky as clouds obscure the moon.

1 Yellow flowers could either mean the perceived withering into pallor or chrysanthemums – the symbols of autumn to mean the dusk of one’s life. The flowers are the personification of the lady in question.


2 Confirmation by the mirror.

3 Like the wind, her lover is now gone as implied by the last line. 郎 has the same sound as 狼, a wolf.

4 Clouds signify old age/wrinkles obscuring her beauty underneath.

Thursday, August 17, 2023

The Way Of Sunsets

AC Tang from Facebook’s group, Chinese poetry had composed a poem called 風雨烟,

癸卯暮春 陽台山蝴蝶谷 遇雨山，
清雷鳥語碧樹烟。

行人断,

風雨路成三。

Rain in late spring at the Butterfly Valley of Yangtai Mountain.

The mountain is
its purifying thunder,
its words of birds,
and its mist of jade green.

is the travelers
vanishing
only the road,
wind,

and rain
a symphonic three
is to remain

My translation:

Late spring of 2023, at the Valley of Butterflies, in the Southern Terrace Mountains, rains [i] met,

Distinct thunder rumbling with chirping birds amongst green trees and mists,
Travelers [I see] no more,
But with the wind, the rain and the road forming three.

And from inspiration, I wrote one during my evening jog…

1 世上野心風雲惡 In this world, turbulent storms are caused by the power hungry,
2 天下逍遙九霄樂 Only the leisure carefree knows of happiness in the Nine Heavens.
3 若道紅塵貴莫棄 In saying that the wealth of the mortal dream is not to be abandoned,
4 一生獨霸隨日落 Then all that life had dominated will follow the way of the setting sun.

1 Wind and clouds mean the turbulence of earthly affairs.

2 An exaggeration of unbounded happiness.  It is believed that there are nine levels of heaven in Chinese mythology.

3 Red Dust – a Buddhist term for the mundane world where material wealth gained or created by men is impermanent and therefore what experienced in life in the end is like a dream upon death.

4 Emphasizes that the point raised in the previous line. Another new day means another new generation.

Wednesday, August 16, 2023

Still Counting

1 微緋殘霞遠天邊 Remnants of decaying crimson clouds by heaven’s edge,
2 夜漸銀河星萬獻 Slowly the night presented the myriad of stars of the Silver River.
3 數盡三百晚未足 Counting away the three hundred nights still not reached,
4 鵲橋緣何露眼前 Oh why then does the Magpie Bridge appear before my very eyes?

1 The day is dying but night brings hope in forms of stars and another day had passed.

2 Silver River – the Milky Way

3 The pivot to introduce the allusion of the Seventh Night.

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

4 It is believed that on the Seventh Night, magpies will congregate to form a bridge so that the twin stars of Vega and Altair may meet as lovers on it.

Tuesday, August 15, 2023

Envy

 

During an evening jog and exercising my mind…

1 春時雨後地新花 New blooms all over the ground after the spring rains,
2 碧翠草葉天配畫 Picturesque green are the grasses and leaves - a match in heaven.
3 白雲窺妒萬紫紅 Endless swaths of ruddiness envied by white clouds in secret,
4 曾似谷中竊年華 As if once upon a time in this valley, youth had been stolen away.

1 Spring represents youthfulness, flowers – maidens; rains the act of “fertilization”.

2 Green grasses and leaves are accompanying youths.

3 White clouds in the sky, aged men in positions of power lamenting at their own lost youth.

4 This line opens to a number of possibilities for the reader to ponder on.

Monday, August 14, 2023

A Thousand Year Search

While jogging in the evening but many iterations later under the strains of A Summer Place… Simple poems devoid of allusions are the most difficult to create.

1 千載難求解語花 For a thousand years, still looking for thee, O soulmate of mine,
2 海角天涯始誰家 To the edges of the seas, from the ends of the earth where should I begin?
3 使若奇緣終相逢 If perchance, twain shall meet on this miraculous day,
4 時已夕陽夢年華 ‘tis the time of my sunset years dreaming of youth.

1 解語花  - the flower that understand my [unspoken] words...

2 始誰家 - start from which family

3 奇緣 - wondrous fate/destiny

4 年華 - year glory

Saturday, August 12, 2023