Merry Chistmas And Happy New Year - 2011

  
This was written as a note entry for my friends on Italki.  Might as well post it here as well.

I like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I hope all will have a blast and a great time for the remaining of this wonderful year of 2011. I, for one, will look forward to the coming year, although there are idiots out there believe that the world will end by then.

Long before the year 1000 A.D., there was the prediction that the world will come to an end on that first day. Even the Catholic Church indirectly became involved because the adherents of the doomsday prophecy claimed that the evidence was contained in the Bible. The fact that the Church did not clam down on the prediction proved that they believed in the prediction too. So people sold all their possessions and had a great time in 999 A.D. while others prayed fervently to get into heaven.

Hell literally broke loose when the day came and gone just like any other ordinary day. Riots broke out with angry mobs demanding their possessions back. The most obvious damage control was that the Pope was so pious that his piety so moved God to postpone the Armageddon till a later date! From that time onwards, the Church no longer was in the business of prophecy making.

Idiots of today are no different from those of a thousand and eleven years ago. They are still as gullible as ever. This is because they lack of a good education in science and logic. Where else but only in the US that you find this sort of thing happening. States trying to legislate the introduction of Creationism into school curriculum. The Chinese calendar has gone through the thousand year cycle five or six times. So is the Jewish calendar. It is just a number and nothing else. However this did not make the aversion of the number 13 in Westerners nor the Chinese and Japanese for the number 4!

The number of days in our lives is determined by the unseen hand of Fate. No one but those contemplating suicide, etc will know far in advance of their death. So I say, enjoy this only life you have. Whatever future lives, if you choose to believe their existence, worry about it when you are living in that future life. Right now, choose they way you want to live and not by the whims of others telling how you should live. You are an idiot if you let others run your life for you. You are just living a life of a lemming and nothing more. If you can go to sleep without your conscience gnawing at your dreams, then you are doing good. We all will grow old and die. I believe in retribution. It will come to haunt you in one way or another.

As for myself, I never have a Christmas tree in my home. Nor do you see any Christmassy decoration. First of all, I do not like any life killed for my pleasure. I am not a “bah humbug”. I have a morbid fear of the house catching fire as year after year I read such horror stories of the dried tree bursting into flames because of some electrical defect. Besides, I won’t be home most of the time. For example, starting from this coming Wednesday, I will be out partying with friends and not far from it will be feast after feast to be gorged away only to pay penance at the gym after the holidays! Not to mention that I will have to spend time to put up the decorations and then putting them down again. I rather be on Italki correcting someone’s English essay. It is more constructive and time well spent than to be up on a ladder inviting accidents to come.

Well, this is my way of celebrating my year end holidays. This coming Wednesday is also the start of the Winter Solstice. Not a big celebration here but I am sure it is a big one over in the Chinas of Asia. Still, it is as valid as any other reason to get friends together to have a great time. I hope you too have a good time to enjoy with friends and family.

My Cats - The Bitch and the Tuxedo

This is in response to KaryLam's note in Italki.com, to share our loves.

http://www.italki.com/notebook/entry/144212.htm

 

The Blue Kitty

She was there before the house was built. She was there when the house was built. She was there before we moved in. She was there at the main entrance to the house when we moved in! Yes, right smack in front of the entrance. She did not run away but looked at us and give us a pitiful meow as if telling us, “You may stay and live with me”. With that she ran off.

By now you know who I was referring to. It’s a bluish grey neighbourhood kitty. As we settled in the house, she was always around, giving us a meow as if asking if we find her domain accommodating. Soon we fed her and she began to come into the house as well. We do not know if she has another person to scrounge off since she seems to a master unto herself. Finally she decided that it will be us that she shall choose to live with.

We do not know what to call her. Our next door neighbour told us they call her “Squeak” because her meowing sounded like a squeak. We did not like the name and unsure if she is a Russian Blue even though she looks like one. In the end, “Blue Kitty” became her name. Later from the internet, we thought that she may be a Korat but her eyes are not orange. Didn't care if she is a Russian Blue or a Korat we still love her. She seemed rather be indignant if  being called “Blue”.

She is standoffish, aloof and regal. She will not come when trying to call her... She simply stares and looks at you as if an idiot is shouting. Nonetheless, the moment the sound of the can is opened, no matter where she may be, she will come pounding in!  What a remarkable sense of hearing. 

She is the queen of the jungle backyard we have. You see, I like to have a tropical garden with over twenty different species of bamboo and broad leaf plants. She rules her domains with iron fangs.

One morning upon, opening the door, one of us screamed! She had brought a gift for us to show us that we are welcomed – mind you, just a bloody head of a half eaten mouse. Our reaction seemed to offend her - “What’s the matter with you? Don’t you like my gift?” From that time onwards, she no longer shares her dainty morsels with us unappreciative blokes! Such imperial temper. For one thing, she does keep the rodent population down.

We loved her even though she is finicky and comes to you at her convenience. Still, one of us even spoils her by buying a blanket with cat paw pattern for her to sleep in her bed during cold nights.  Guess who has to let her out of the house when she feels that she needs to survey her kingdom at 3am! Yes, moi! Why we tolerate her nonsense is beyond our feeble minds!

This is the Blue Kitty for you. I shall talk more of her when the arrival of the Tuxedo into our lives.

The Tuxedo

A year later, we discovered that the Blue Kitty was eating her food more than usual. This is because we have to fill her bowl with dry food all the time. Then one day, I noticed a black and white kitten eating from her bowl. It ran away when I tried to approach it. It was scrawny to the point of being bony. It had a lip defect that it made it looks like one of those old cartoon black and white cat characters with a sneering smile.

Each time, when I fill up the food bowl,  I would call out “meow meow”. About a month later, it began to warm up to me. Cats are not stupid. They know when there is free food.  I guess humans are just the same and began to hang around the place more often. Sometimes when I saw it lying on the garden furniture, I would approach slowly with the dry cat food in my hand and calling my now familiar, “meow meow”.  At first, it approach cautiously and then ate from my hand. After a few times, it was complete at ease with me and allowed to be patted.

Soon I was cuddling it and scrounge its ears which it loves.  We started calling him "Tuxedo" after discovering that it was a he.  Finally,  he became a fixture of the house. I never believe my cats to be indoor cats. I have a big garden and with its tropical theme, they adored the environment. However a great change came over the Blue Kitty. She was no longer friendly, even more aloof than usual. I guessed she felt hurt as if we were taking in a second wife or concubine into the house. She would only come in to eat and then leave. The Tuxedo on the other was adorable like any favoured concubine. He comes to you when called and often just comes settling down with you. He would knead you on your stomach when we lie on the couch. Whenever you feed it, it would give you a meow first, as if to thank you. He will not eat the moment the food is poured into his bowl but to wait for awhile, as if to show appreciation and gratitude. Perhaps cats are better than some humans! 

The Blue Kitty is acting like the scorned first wife! She knew she is the rightful owner of the place.  And to give her credit, she refuses to eat from the same bowl as that homebreaker - no choice but to fork over our hard earned cash to buy a different bowl for her. Whenever Tux approaches the Blue Kitty, she would angrily swipe at him for its usurpation of the throne. The Blue Kitty will no longer let us touch her at all. She just comes in, eats and then bounces off. What a bitch!

Tuxedo loves to come to sleep with me and keeps purring away just to keep me awake. What can I do? I am just a sucker. Besides Tux he understands “Moo-Moo”, “Momo”, “Mochi” and “Mucho-mucho” are his nicknames as well. I adored him while the Blue Kitty seemed like an ingrate. 

Later I conjectured that he was from a family of tuxedo cats living in the upper hillock of our neighbour’s house. He must have wandered down from the slope and got lost. 

Whenever I had a broom in hand, the Blue Kitty would rocket away in fear. I supposed she was abused as a kitten. However,  Tux showed no such thing. Perhaps too naive and trusting.  Being too innocent and not streetwise like the Blue Kitty, is not a good thing.  In one case, it breeds pleasure. Once I used a giant broom to brush his body, he became addicted. So, each time whenever he sees a broom in my hands, he would come over and plop down in front of me, expecting a body massage! 

Eventually I had to put him inside the house before I do any outdoor cleaning. What a mochi that he is.
Whatever the case may be, he must be my previous life debtor for I have to spend extra money on him like getting neutered. The Blue Kitty on the other hand did not cost us a single penny even to this day of writing. Her neutering was paid by my neighbors for she disappeared for a day and the next thing we knew,  the deed was done. 

Because of his naivety, Tux was always being bullied by other cats, getting into fights and received wounds while gallanting away in the neighborhood.  Each time we have to take him to the vet. So often that he became the Money God to the vet! We tried to keep him the house in the night but still, such incidents happened.

Then one day, after a particularly nasty wound, the vet told us that he had developed some kind of kidney problem because of some feline form of AIDs - most probably caught from wounds of raccoons in the neighbourhood. This is totally different from the human type. We did not have the heart to put it to sleep even though I was for it.  On the outside he looks very healthy. To cut the sad story short of seeing him wasting away with injections or whatever not, in the end we have no choice but to go through the inevitable process. Everyone in the household was sad except for one -  You guessed it! Her Imperial Highness – the Blue Kitty.

Whether you believe it or not, the moment the Queen found out that the Tuxedo is no longer around, her demeanor abruptly changed. More friendly now and reverted partially to her former self. At least she no longer runs away when seeing us. It is as though the first wife had forgiven the husband. Once in a while, when she feels like it, she comes to you, purring and knead your stomach too. Perhaps she learnt a trick or two from the Tuxedo. Still, we were not entirely forgiven for she refused to come into our room to sleep with us.  She would rather sleep with our other housemate! 

She is imperious as ever and this morning she is scratching on the staircase carpet to let you know that she is tired of staying inside the house and is out on an inspection tour of her realm.

As I am loading the pictures of the Tux, a tear is welling in my eyes.

After note: It had been almost 14 years later when I wrote this.  It is because today, someone left a comment which led me to re-read my piece.  I found many typos and had to correct them.  Might as well an update.  The Blue Kitty had left us suddenly about eight years ago while we were out of the country.  At least we don't have to face such emotional stress. It would surely break our hearts.  Even so, twinged in such sadness that we swore off pets entirely from our lives onwards... Once in awhile, we would have some kind of cat-panic attack, wishing to have another furry companion but with support from each other, we came to our senses and not to give in to our yearnings - better to play with our friend's cats on the excuse of visiting them.

Thursday, November 21, 2025

A Reply

  
My Facebook friend sent me a poem of his the other day. I guess this is our way of grinding our minds as a pastime. I do not know long did it take him to compose but I am sure it must be in a short period as his Chinese is excellent. This was what he sent.  I have included the translation and annotated some of the not so apparent references as footnotes for your understanding and enjoyment.


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 have the flowers fallen,
花謝花飛飛滿庭. All over the red1 courtyard, withering and in flight.
春風艷色未挽留, But alas, no spring wind can bring them back2.
色消香斷奈何天. Alas, colors faded, fragrance stopped.
往日風流朱顏改, Merriment in days of yore; no longer rosy are these cheeks of mine,
紅樓玉壁依然在. But cinnabar buildings with walls of jade still remain.
低聲嘆氣我自憐, In whispers and sighs, I pity myself.
自古紅顏多薄命. From time immemorial, such are the pitiful lives of beauties.

For days, I cracked my mind for a suitable reply. I have to have a similar theme and yet something different. To cut my story short, the following poem was the result of an image formed during my jog up the hill. Two once upon a time lovers met again after many years. 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, a thousand regrets.
秋波隱忍萬世愁. Hidden in the eyes, a myriad sorrows.
揮扇遮隔身外塵, Waving my fan, I seek refuge and distance myself from the outer dust3,
釵搖回首不望後. Swishing of my hairpin4, I turned and looked not back.

Anyway I came up with a second version. I did not know which is better. Most grateful for any pointer or comment. Thanks all.

一滴珠淚一滴恨, One tear drop, one drop of regret,
是否淚盡恨不留. Tears gone, no regret left?
揮扇遮隔眼前塵, Waving my fan, I seek refuge and distance myself from this dust before me.
釵搖回首不多聞. Swishing my hairpin, I turned and listened 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. 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.

From Kismet, "A Stranger In Paradise"

  
This was an original post written in ITALKI.

This is a response for someone who posted his favourite lyrics of a current popular song. I could not help myself from smirking when I read the lyrics. Mostly are repeated as thus,

“I wanna to hold your hand. I wanna to kiss you etc.”

Crude and banal in my opinion. There is much wonder in the world and he chose that as his favourite. How sad. So in this essay, I am going to introduce to some of the gems in the music world and an English lesson.

Kismet is a Turkish word, from Arabic, “qisma” meaning fate or destiny. It is now an accepted English word because of a very famous American Musical of the same title. For those interested in this musical, here’s the Wikipedia link.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kismet_(musical)

The setting of the musical is in some fabled land of the Middle East where the Caliph rules supreme. A delightful and uncomplicated story told in the simple times of the old. One of the more outstanding songs is “Stranger In Paradise”. For those interested seriously in the English language, here is how the language of love is expressed so wondrously and implicitly. The hauntingly beautifully melody is based on a classical music piece. For more info see,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stranger_in_Paradise_(song)

Take my hand
I'm a stranger in paradise
All lost in a wonderland
A stranger in paradise
If I stand starry-eyed
That's the danger in paradise
For mortals who stand beside an angel like you
I saw your face and I ascended
Out of the commonplace into the rare
Somewhere in space I hang suspended
Until I know there's a chance that you care
Won't you answer this fervent prayer
Of a stranger in paradise?
Don't send me in dark despair
From all that I hunger for
But open your angel's arms
To this stranger in paradise
And tell him that he need be
A stranger no more…

As I am writing, I am listening to it. How miraculous the ink flows so easily from one’s pen (or in this modern case, keystrokes spewing out like a bubbling spring) when there is a background music to inspire. For those interested in the melody, here are some links for you convenience and enjoyment. The first one is from the original musical sung by Kathryn Grayson and Howard Keel. The second one is a standard sung by Johnny Mathis and the third one, a more modern interpretation by Sarah Brightman who has a more ethereal quality and a tad less expressive than the older versions. The older ones have an introduction as in accordance to the musical. The main song starts from, “Take my hand…” For those in the Mainland, I am so sorry that you cannot access Youtube. Oh what fools those are in the top, denying wonders of the world to its people. Alas, you just have to do more work and google for them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovEyz-XOvJY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZN42w0S4HI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jkU2MQrYGk

White Haired Dweller of the Palace of the Supreme Sun

  
I came across this poem by Po Chu-I (白居易) while correcting水烟輕澹's (http://www.italki.com/T005591591.htm) translation of the poem.

However it was not complete. Hence this is a translation for the complete poem. Now I understand why. Too many details and allusions to be explained and footnoted!

The poem was written as a ballad; lamenting a girl brought into the imperial harem. To prevent the emperor from espying any potential rival, all pretty ones were banished by the current favourite to imperial palaces such as the Shang Yang Palace far away from the regular residence of the emperor. The first line is literal translation and the second, the polished version of it.

For those interested, there is another translation that can be found at page 25 of http://books.google.com/books?id=HhCdC-D-sQ8C&pg=PA25&lpg=PA25&dq=white+haired+of+the+shang+yang+palace&source=bl&ots=OktIP5H14E&sig=iSLOMx4xRxW1DfjvuSKj5r5raHQ&hl=en&ei=B_nBToKIK6n9iQKHoOTfCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&sqi=2&ved=0CBoQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=white%20haired%20of%20the%20shang%20yang%20palace&f=false


上陽人White Haired Dweller of the Palace of the Supreme Sun1

上陽人, Shang Yang person, O Dweller of Shang Yang Palace,

紅顏暗老白髮新. Red face darkened, old white hair new. Rosiness seeps away from the face, my hair newly white.
綠衣監使守宮門, Green clothed eunuch officials guard palace door. Green robed eunuchs guard the palace gates,

一閉上陽多少春. One lock Shang Yang, how many spring. Locking away the many beauties of youth.

玄宗末歲初選入, Hsuan Tsung, last years begin selected in. Selected during the last years of Emperor Hsuan Tsung2,

入時十六今六十. On entering, sixteen, now sixty. Time I was then sixteen but now sixty3.

同時采擇百餘人, Same time selection a hundred more, Together, a hundred or so that we were chosen,


零落年深殘此身. Alone drop, years deep crippled this body. Years deepened, only this frailty remained.

憶昔吞悲別親族, Remember past, swallow sorrow part family clan, Swallowed my sorrows as I part from my beloved ones,

扶入車中不教哭. Carried into carriage, not teach cry. Carried into the carriage I was told not to cry.

皆云入內便承恩, All said entering inside would receive favour, Upon my entry, imperial favours I wouldst gain, so they said,

臉似芙蓉胸似玉. Face like hibiscus, breast like jade. For my beauty is hibiscus-like, my breasts creamy4 as jade.

未容君王得見面, Not yet, let emperor can see my face, My face not yet beholden by milord,

已被楊妃遙側目. Already let Yang imperial concubine, far side eyed. Already I fell prey to Lady Yang's5 far off slanting glances5.


妒令潛配上陽宮, Jealousy cause deep match/join Shang Yang Palace, In her jealousy, a fixture to the far away Palace of Shang Yang I became,

一生遂向空房宿. One life finally face empty room abode. All my life, an empty room to face.

秋夜長, Autumn night long, Long are my autumn nights,

夜長無寐天不明. Night long no sleep, day not bright. Eternal are the sleepless nights with no brightening dawn.

耿耿殘燈背壁影, Brightly, remnant candle behind wall shadow, Strong are the shadows cast against the wall by the dying candlelight.

蕭蕭暗雨打窗聲. Misery/desolate/sound of rain darkened rain beat window sound. Plip-plip plop-plop goes the unseen rain6, beating its sound against the window.
春日遲, Spring day late, Spring is late,

日遲獨坐天難暮. Day late alone sit, day difficult evening. Days are reluctant in passing as I sit alone to welcome the tardy evenings.

宮鶯百囀愁厭聞, Palace orioles hundred chirping sorrow hate listen, Chirping sounds of palace orioles are hard to bear,

梁燕雙棲老休妒. Beams, swallow, pair live old stop jealousy. Envy not the two old swallows roosting together in the eaves,

鶯歸燕去長悄然, orioles, return swallows go, long quietly/sorrowfully, Gone are the orioles, the swallows flown, quiet sorrow merely returns.

春往秋來不記年. Spring went, autumn came, not remember year. Spring went,  autumn cometh; but remembering no longer what year this is,

唯向深宮望明月, Only toward deep palace view bright moon. All I can do is to stare at the moon from this deep palace recess.

東西四五百回圓. East west four five hundred return rounds. Rising from the east; setting in the west; four five hundred times, waxed and waned.

今日宮中年最老, Today, inside the palace oldest, Today the oldest in the palace I had become,

大家遙賜尚書號. Big family/We far bestow, Shang Shu (a rank), From the far away Emperor, I’m bestowed with this noble title7.

小頭鞋履窄衣裳, small head shoes soles narrow clothing, Pointy shoes and tightly clothes I wear,

青黛點眉眉細長. Green black dot eye brows dainty small and long, In green black mascara I paint my brows daintily in long slender strokes.

外人不見見應笑, Outside people not see, laugh once see. Outsiders see not me, but surely they will laugh upon seeing me,

天寶末年時世妝. Heaven precious last years time fashion make up. Donned in the chic makeup of bygone years8.

上陽人, Shang Yang person, O dweller of Shang Yang Palace,

苦最多. Sorrows most plenty. Sorrows most plentiful.

少亦苦, Young also sorrowful, Sorrows of youth,

老亦苦. Old also sorrowful. Sorrows of the aged.

少苦老苦兩如何? Youth sorrow, old sorrow, two like how? Sorrows of the young and the old, so what’s the difference?

君不見昔時呂向美人賦, Lord not see the long ago Lu Shang offer the Beauty Ballard
Milord, see not “Lu Shang offering the Beauty Ballad9” of the past,

又不見今日上陽白髮歌! Also not see today’s white hair dweller of Shang Yang Song! Alas, hear not today’s song of the “White Haired Dweller of Shang Yang10”.


1.  The Shang Yang (Supreme Sun) Palace was the secondary palace in Luoyang, far away from the main palace in Chang An. A place of banishment for those who lost the imperial favour. Even the mighty Empress Wu was placed under house arrest there after her son’s coup until her death soon afterwards from old age. Hence the palace is no place for revelry. In later years this palace fell into neglect. Technically, the translation as “sun” is wrong. Here “yang” is that of the ying-yang duality of Chinese philosophy.

2.  The 8th Tang Emperor whose reign saw the empire reaching its zenith and also the beginning of the fall of the empire.

3.  Sixteen in Chinese is ten six while sixty is six ten.

4. White jade of the "mutton fat" type (羊脂白玉 ). The green ones became popular from the Ch'ing Dynasty onwards.

5.  Yang Guifei – One of the four most celebrated beauty in Chinese history. When she died, an empire collapsed around her skirts.

6.  Here her side glances denote Lady Yang’s jealousy. Not because the emperor fall prey to her bewitching glances.

7. Rain that is hardly discernible but still can hear its effects and sounds is known as 暗雨 – Hidden/darkened rain.

8.   Shang Hsu – a ministerial rank. “Big family” (大家) is Tang period euphemism for the reigning emperor.

9.  The era of Heavenly Treasure (天寶)A.D. 742 – 756

10.  Lu Shang (呂向) was a Tang Dynasty scholar whose literary prowess and calligraphy are well known. “The Beauty Ballad” is a work of praise of all the beautiful women in history. He uses it as an allegorical sarcasm against the corruption of the then current regime.

11.  Here this line is used to contrast the romanticism of the “Beauty Ballad” with harsh realities of life.


White Haired Dweller of the Palace of the Supreme Sun

O dweller of Shang Yang Palace,
Rosiness seeps away from the face, your hair newly white.
Green robed eunuchs guard the palace gates,
Locking away the many beauties of youth.

Selected during the last years of Emperor Hsuan Tsung,
Time I was then sixteen but now sixty.
Together, a hundred or so that we were chosen,
Years deepened, only this frailty remained.

Swallowed my sorrows as I part from my beloved ones,
Carried into the carriage I was told not to cry.
Upon my entry, imperial favours I wouldst gain, so they said,
For my beauty is hibiscus-like, my breasts creamy as jade.

My face not yet beholden by milord,
Already I fell prey to Lady Yang's far off slanting glances.
In her jealousy, a fixture to the far away Palace of Shang Yang I became,
All my life, an empty room to face.

Long are my autumn nights,
Eternal are the sleepless nights with no brightening dawn.
Strong is the shadows cast against the wall by the dying candlelight.
Plip-plip, plop-plop goes the unseen rain, beating its sound against the window.

Spring is late,

Days reluctant in passing as I sit alone to welcome the tardy evenings.
Chirping sounds of palace orioles are hard to bear,
Envy not the two swallows growing old together in the eaves,
Gone are the orioles, the swallows have flown, quiet sorrow merely returns.

Spring went; autumn cometh; but remembering no longer what year this is,
All I can do is to stare at the moon from this deep palace recess.
Rising from the east; setting in the west; four five hundred times waxed and waned.

Today as the highest ranking in the palace,
From the far away Emperor, I’m bestowed with this noble title.
Pointy shoes and tightly clothes I wear,
In green black mascara I paint my brows daintily in long slender strokes.

Outsiders see not me, but surely they will laugh upon seeing me,
Donned in the chic makeup of bygone years.

O, Dweller of Shang Yang Palace,
Sorrows most plentiful.
Sorrows of youth,
Sorrows of the aged.
Sorrows of the young and the old, so what’s the difference?

Milord, see not “Lu Shang offering the Beauty Ballad” of the past,
Alas, hear not today’s song of the “White Haired Dweller of Shang Yang”.

14 Nov 2011

A Chinese Riddle Poem

  

I was planning to write some essays on my recent trip to Asia. However for the past two days, I lost track of time watching non stop this Taiwanese drama on YouTube. Yes, I am still on vacation, recuperating from jetlag. A friend had sent me a link on Facebook to this movie, "The Invincible Swordsman 傲笑江湖 - 東方不敗). It was interesting and so watched all the three movies following different links. However on finishing the last one, I noticed there was another link to one called, "Empire Devastating Beauty - 傾國皇妃." It was intriguing and soon I was hooked. So I had a marathon serial watching! One good thing resulted was that my biological clock was reset back to the local time.

There was one scene where the heroine wandered into a secluded palace. Inscribed on a post was cryptic poem written with strange forms. It was a riddle. In the story, anyone decrypting it would be rewarded handsomely by the emperor. I find it literally challenging, unique and elegant. Only in the languages based on the Chinese script can such a puzzle be constructed. Hence this note entry is mainly for the benefit of Chinese readers who did not watch the serial.

At first I thought how talented the screenwriter was. However, on further research, this was not the case at all. He had stolen the idea from history and modified it to fit his story. The original poem was written by Su Dong Pu, a Sung dynasty poet. Since the story took place before his time during the Five Dynasty and Ten States Era, it was a good ploy in the movie. Otherwise any literati worth his salt will able to figure it out easily.

Here are some hints...

月字傾斜,             The character for the moon is slanted
枕字倒寫,             The pillow (character) is written upside down.
門字少半邊          Only half the door character is written.
夜字加長漏变短 The character for night is lengthen while the one for leak is shortened.
望字中間折斷      The middle part of the character for "to see" is separated,
肝字加長.             The character for live is lengthened
信字少一點          There's a dot missing from the character of "to believe"
三個更字重疊      Three character of "to change/hour" is heaped on each other.
首字反寫              The character of "head" is written in reverse
釵字金邊折斷      The character for hairpin whose metal radical is broken.

Brown is literal, blue is figurative version and red is the polished version in the target language.

斜月到枕門半開, Slanting moon, comes pillow door half opened,
The light of the low hanging moon reaches my pillow and the door is still half opened.

夜長漏短無人來. Night long, water clock/time/leak short no one comes.
The night is long, time is short but still no one comes.

望斷肝腸無點信, see broken liver intestines, no dot news.
Waiting eagerly until my liver and intestines break, still no sign of him.

三更回首折金釵. Third hour return head, deconstruct, golden hairpin.
At the third hour, I turn my head and take away the golden hair pin.

Late is the hour, the door still half opened,
Long is the night, the hours short but still no one comes.
My heart breaks in vain, nary a sign of him.
Till the third hour cometh, one last lingering look before removing my golden hairpin.

A few notes for non Chinese readers. This is a love poem written from the view point of the lady longing for her lover’s return. Chinese love the sublime and the implicit but the vagueness. It makes the reader wonder what is not said explicitly. The missing lover could be her husband who is away on some journey, not necessary the illicit tryst like Romeo and Juliet.

漏 means leaky. It is the dripping of the water in a water clock of the old days. Hence the measurement of time.

心肝 means heart and liver. In Chinese, it means "my darling". Calling my heart and liver in English not only is meaningless but gross in imagery. Guts would be better but still not elegant enough in English. This is cultural bias. Broken liver and intestines mean great wrenching sorrows.

A Chinese hour is equivalent to 2 modern hours. The 3rd watch or the 3rd hour means very late. This denotes the period from midnight to 2am. Removing hairpins means preparation for bed.

Now we know that this lady is from a rich family; otherwise, she would not have such luxurious hair ornaments. In Old China, rich and noble ladies do apply makeup and dressing their hair upon waking up; usually with the help of the maids. If there is a loving husband around, he would paint her eyebrows in this morning ritual. This act itself means a pair of love birds newly married.

For more information see http://www.wushuwg.com/bbsthread-13571/

The following is my translation of the article from the above link.

Let us first look at Su Dong Pu’s strange looking poem,

You may be taken aback for awhile. What’s this? The characters do not look as they should be and neither a painting that should look like one. This wondrous form of poem is that “thoughts are expressed in their visual forms and are self explanatory” 1. It is a poem whereby one can read out the implicit words just by its form. Thus, it is read out as,

長亭短景無人畫,   Long is the pavilion, short is the scenery but no one to paint,
老大橫拖瘦竹筇2. Along comes an old man walking with a slender bamboo staff.
回首斷雲斜日暮,  Turning his head, the dying sunlight shafting through the clouds,
曲江倒蘸側山峰.  The winding river, mountain peaks dipping in its waters.

1. In another words, a rebus.
2. A kind of bamboo for making staves etc.

The general meaning is a marvelous evening scene of slanting rays of the sun but it is a pity that no one is here to paint it. Right then an elderly person comes walking slowly with his bamboo staff. Now and then he would turn back his head to see the sun setting continuously; darkening the scene with pieces of clouds dancing slowly. Mountain peaks reflected in the waters of the meandering river. How lovely it is, a landscape begging to be painted!

(When I first read the poem, the imagery appeared in front of my eyes was a river, meandering into the distant mountains, as if the river is dipping into them!)

There is another story connected to this poem. During the reign of Sung Shen Tsung, of the Hei Ning (Splendid Tranquility) era, the ambassador from the Northern Dynasty (most probably the Liao Dynasty) who use poetry to stump the literati officials of the Hanlin Academy. Any unsatisfactory in their response, he would deride them to no end. Then one year, this ambassador came once more and the Sung emperor ordered Su Dong Pu to entertain him. Once more the ambassador used his customary tactics to humiliate his Chinese host. However he never dreamt that this time, he would meet his nemesis.

Su Dong Po sarcastically told the ambassador that writing poems is easy. What is more difficult is to be able to read it aloud. With that said, he took out his brush and began to write the above poem. The ambassador was stunned and looked stupidly with his mouth a gaped and tongue tied. He was thoroughly humiliated. From that time onwards, no longer would he dare to show off his poetic prowess when he come calling to the Imperial Sung court.

Now let us enjoy another one written as a folk song.

According to its form, it can be read as

夜長枕橫意心歪，The night is long, across my pillow I have no noble thoughts,
斜月三更門半開。At the third watch, the moon is low and the door still half opened.
短命到今無口信，Life is short and still nary a sign from him.
肝腸望斷沒人來。Till my guts are wrenched, yet no one comes.

Please note that are two homophones in the poem. They are “倒” (upside down) vs 到” (to arrive) and “長” (long) vs “腸” (intestines). The meaning of the poem is not difficult to grasp. One lonely lady deep in the heart of the night longing for her lover. She is antsy, waiting with impatience and the door still half opened. She waited till midnight and not a sign of that short live bastard. Till her guts are spilt, yet no one is here.

Another important note: The poem uses traditional characters. Those who do not know these characters will not appreciate this kind of poems. They cannot be constructed when using simplified forms.

Source: 300 Historical Strange and Intriguing Poems.

請先看一下蘇東坡寫的一首十分怪異的詩：

可能您一下子被愣住了，這是啥呀，字不像字，圖不像圖的。這是一首神智體詩。所謂'以意寫圖，令人自悟'，即根據寫出字的形象讀出詩句。上述這首詩就可讀為：

長亭短景無人畫，
老大橫拖瘦竹筇。
回首斷雲斜日暮，
曲江倒蘸側山峰。

大意是，夕陽餘暉映照出了絕妙的風景，可惜沒有人把它畫出來。此時只見一位老者拖著一根竹杖慢慢踱來。他不時回頭眺望，只見得落日不斷暗淡下來，片片斷雲慢慢飄舞。再看那彎彎曲曲的江水中，一座座山峰倒映其中，多麼美妙的一幅山水畫！

關於這首詩還有一個故事。宋神宗熙寧年間，北朝使者來訪時，常常寫詩為難翰林院的學士們。宋朝學士應答稍有不美就會受到使者德嘲諷。這一年北朝又來了使者，皇上讓東坡去接待。使者還想用詩為難蘇東坡，沒想到這次可遇到了大剋星。東坡輕蔑的對使者說，寫詩是再容易不過的事了，真正難的是讀詩啊。說著就揮筆寫出了上邊那首神智體詩。那位使者頓時就傻眼了。張嘴結舌，狼狽萬分。從此以後再也不敢再宋朝朝廷上賣弄詩句了。

下面再請各位欣賞一首神智體的民歌：

按字的形象可以讀為：

夜長枕橫意心歪，
斜月三更門半開。
短命到今無口信，
肝腸望斷沒人來。


注意詩中有兩處諧音，“倒”諧“到”，“長”諧“腸”。詩的意義不難理解。一位女子長夜中等著心上人，心中煩亂，門戶半開。等到半夜那個短命郎還沒音信，望的肝腸斷還沒見到來人。


還需注意，詩中用字為繁體字，或曰正體字。不識正體字難以欣賞這種詩。倘用簡體字，那些詩根本就寫不出來。


來源：歷代諧趣怪異詩三百首

Two Bagfuls

October 21, 2011

In the beginning, when man was set forth into the world, God gave him two bags. One large one containing all his faults and the smaller one containing the faults of his neighbours. Man then set forth into the world with the larger bag swung behind his bag while the smaller one in front of him. Thus, Man is quick to spot the faults of others but none of his own. 

As my Pan Pacific flight is over twelve hours, I had way too much time to kill. Instead of twiddling my fingers in utter boredom, I decided to watch the complimentary on demand movies that Cathay Pacific Airlines provide. I was pleasantly surprised that there were many movies that I had not seen before. For example, “The Green Lantern”. When I flipped the channel to the Asian Channels, there were two versions of “A Chinese Ghost Story”. One made in 2011 and another one in 1987 by Tsui Hark. This story came from a Ch’ing Dynasty book on horror and fantasy – “Stories From A Chinese Studio” (聊齋). This is the standard translation given by Herbert Giles, the eminent sinologist who co-developed the Wade-Giles system of Chinese transliteration into English. A literal translation of this book can be “Causal Mutterings In A Chinese Studio”.

The literal title of this movie is “The Ethereal Spirit of A Beauty” (倩女幽魂) but for marketing purposes, “A Chinese Ghost Story” is to lure in the non-Chinese audience. However, there’s even an older version also produced in Hong Kong by the Shaw Brothers in 1960. Here the English title is “The Enchanting Shadow”. Since I had seen it on Youtube including the animation version which I own on a DVD, I decided to watch them as well. The main plot remained the same but of course under different directors, different sort of excitement and action packed scenes can be expected. The oldest version was part musical with less action scenes. Whatever the entertainment value was vogue for the particular period, what interested me most is the commonality in all these life action versions - the same recurring theme of this painting scroll depicting two mandarin ducks nestling under some lotus leaves.

Mandarin ducks are symbols of romantic love in Chinese culture. This painting though beautifully painted by the heroine before she died, it was incomplete for there was no accompanying poem. After becoming a ghost and having met the hero, they fell in love. The painting was then completed by having an appropriate poem written by the hero, who still did not realize her true nature. This is how Classical Chinese alludes tastefully to the aftermath of some carnal action. Nowadays no one would blink their eyes in shock if the actual scene was blaring from the screen describing every moan and groan! Anyway without giving the plot of the movie too much, the poem of the 1960 movie version is,

十里平湖绿满天, Ten miles, a calm lake and greenery everywhere.
玉簪暗暗惜华年. The jade clasp secretly in love with the youth.
若得雨盖能相护, Only if under the cover of rain, they can care for each other,
只羡鸳鸯不羡仙. Envy not those from the fairy realm but for these mandarin ducks.

Some explanation, the jade clasp represents the lady and the last line alludes that in heaven, there is a law forbidding all its denizens to have carnal love. In flouting this law, they may be banished to the earth to live out a mortal’s life to self realize that how fleeting and how futile romantic love is. But as one in love, such one would think otherwise.

In the 1987 Tsui Hark’s version, it was changed to,

十里平湖霜满天，Ten miles, a calm lake and snow flurries fill the sky.
寸寸青丝愁華年。Every inch of her locks forlorn for his youth.
对月形单望相顧，In loneliness, I look caringly at the moon,
只羡鴛鴦不羡仙。Envy not those from the fairy realm but for these mandarin ducks.

Correcting and criticizing work of others are so much easier than composing on your own. So with my smaller bag that I am carrying in front of me, I shall attempt one with my feeble hand with the movie theme and the painting in mind.

十里芳亭烟雨霧, Ten miles away, the Fragrant Pavilion is enshrouded in misty rain.
三宵玉簪戲年華. For three nights the jade clasp toyed with youth.
葉下鴛鴦不知怕, Under the leaves, the mandarin ducks knew no fear,
相擁傲笑天上霞. Nestled in togetherness, laughing at Heaven’s colored clouds.

Line one: I changed the scenery from a frosty day in winter or the greenery day in spring to a non-descript misty day. In the movie, the hero and the female ghost had romantic trysts for a few days. The phrase, “rain and mist” is a euphemism for such interludes. For those who well versed in Classical Chinese erotic novels such as the “The Golden Plum Vase” will know what a fragrant pavilion is being referred to.

Line two: Following the movie plot, they were together for a few nights and the ghost was “toying” with him to ascertain whether he was of good character or not.

Line three: In accordance to the theme of the painting, it is appropriate to add “knew no fear” as the two mandarin ducks nestled together in the perceived safety under the lotus leaves. At first, I thought of using “風不怕”, “fearing not the wind” but I thought it would be too specific and the tone of the wind doesn’t seem to be quite right at the place where it appears in the poem.

Line four: It is conceivable that when those are in love, they are confident in overcoming all obstacles and at the same time smugly knowing how lucky that they are. Here I used colored clouds to allude to immortals. When they travel, auspicious looking colored clouds appear under their feet.

Even those do not know Chinese literature, may have a good guess at what is happening under the surface from the way the English translation is hinting at. After much research, I found that even these versions are derived from an even earlier source,

白衣卿相《别思》Officials In White (On Parting)

十里長亭霜满天，Ten miles, a calm lake and snow flurries fill the sky.
青絲白髮度何年？Black is my hair, will they be white when you return?
今生無悔今生錯，Regret not of this life for all its wrong,
來世有缘来世遷。Continue on in the next life if we have the chance.
笑靨如花堪繢綣，Once our laugh lines are like flowers of the colored banners.
容颜似水怎緾綿？How can our faces now be flowing waters with no endearment?
情濃渺恰相思淡，Deep affections vague and our thoughts indifferent,
自在蓬山舞復躚。But let us return to the Immortals for a leisure walk or dance.

White clothed means clothing of commoners. Officials in white is a euphemism for high officials coming from humble backgrounds. In the Sung period, it also meant that those who are talented but did not attain official status. Just because their poetry became the rage of their time, they are invited to parties of officials as honoured guests, something akin to today’s invitation of Lady Gaga to your party!

Now I don’t feel too guilty in stealing someone’s poetry. I am in good company! As they say, “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery”.