From Seas To Mulberry Fields 沧海桑田

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Wanderlust asked what has the content of the poem Picking Mulberries 采桑子 cǎisāngzǐ got to do with the title. (see last post). I believed it is because of the analogy of mulberry 桑 sāng which is probably derived from the proverbs 桑田沧海 sāngtián-cānghǎi and 沧海桑田 cānghǎi-sāngtián, both of which meant the same thing. Seas were being converted into mulberry fields and mulberry fields into seas; meaning time brings great changes. This proverb originated from a classic piece in the Jin (晋 jìn) dynasty in which was written "已见东海三为桑田” meaning the Eastern Seas had already been transformed into mulberry fields three times.

The analogy was further strengthened by 饱经沧桑 bǎojīng-cāngsāng which means having experienced many vicissitudes of life. As if this was not good enough, it is further enriched by 桑榆暮景 sāngyú-mùjǐng which means the closing years of one's life. 桑榆 sāngyú by itself means sunset or old age while 暮景 mùjǐng means scene at dusk or situation at old age.

It is amazing how much a simple word like 桑 sāng can convey. It is as if the whole content of the poem can be condensed into that single word making one wonder whether the poet used the word to create the poem…

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