The Fishes in the Sea and the Birds in the Sky: Thousand Character Classic 千字文 – Line 9.

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海咸河淡, 鳞潜羽翔。
hǎi xián hé dàn, lín qián yǔ xiáng

海 (sea) 咸 (salty) 河 (river) 淡 (fresh),

The sea water is salty while the river is fresh. 淡 dàn by itself also means dilute, weak or thin and in this case refers to the fresh water.

鳞 (fish scale) 潜 (submerge) 羽 (feather) 翔 (soar)

The fish swim in the sea and birds fly in the sky. 潜 qián also means latent, to hide. Nathan considered this to be the end of the first chapter which begins with the heavens and earth and conclude with common knowledge about nature. However, other researchers separate the 125 lines of 千字文 by other forms.

(I'll be going to the Bridge over River Kwai early tomorrow for a week, see you when I get back).

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Plums & Crab Apples, Mustard Greens & Gingers: Thousand Character Classic 千字文 – Line 8.

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果珍李柰, 菜重芥姜。
guǒ zhēn lǐ nài, cài zhòng jiè jiāng

果 (fruit) 珍 (precious) 李 (plum) 柰 (crab- apple),

The most precious of the fruits are the plums or peaches and apples. I do not know why crab apples are so important to the Chinese except they can be used as sour condiment, can anyone enlighten me?

菜 (vegetables) 重 (important) 芥 (mustard) 姜 (ginger)

The most valuable of the vegetables are the mustard greens and gingers. They are not only valued as food but also for their medicinal values. The mustard is believed to be good for the eyes and the ginger reduces the gas in the body system.

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老张和小黄 Of Communist Chang & Pregnant Yellow – Part II

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At about the same time I made the boo boo on the color yellow 黄 (see earlier post by same title), I made another one regarding my own name! That was during my first trip to China many years ago. During that period it was fashionable to address someone by 老 lǎo or 小 xiǎo for e.g. 小黄 or 老张 according to whether she is younger or older than you. It is also fashionable to call someone by their profession such as General Manager (总经理 zǒngjīnglǐ) Wang or 王总 wángzǒng. But it sure sounds odd to me when an engineer (工程师 gōngchéngshī) I knew with a surname of 朱 zhū is addressed as 朱工 zhūgōng. For it sounds exactly like 猪公 zhūgōng which means male pig.

This was what threw me off. I was often asked "how should I address you?" when they are asking for my surname. And I of course reply "我姓张" or my name is Zhang or Chang as it was written prior to 拼音 pīnyīn. Their response at that time puzzled me for they would say what sounds to me like 共产张 gòngchǎnzhāng or Communist Chang! I was wondering why the hell would they call me Communist Chang when I'm a 华侨 Huáqiáo or overseas Chinese but I never questioned them. It was later when my mandarin was better before I realized that they were actually refering to the components of my surname 张. For you see, 张 is made up of 弓 (gōng) 'bow' and 长 (cháng) 'long'. But to my untrained ears then, it sounded like 共产 which I recognized. No wonder they said a little knowledge is dangerous!

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“Legendary Sword & Luminous Pearl”. - Thousand Character Classic 千字文 – Line 7.

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剑号巨阙, 珠称夜光。
jiànhào jù què, zhū chēng yè guāng.

剑 (sword) 号 (named) 巨阙 (JuQue),

Of all the swords, the most famous was named 巨阙 jùquè (巨 is huge 阙 no meaning as a single syllable word). It was one of 5 swords that King Goujian of Yue 越王勾踐 yuè wáng Gōu Jiàn (reigned 496 BC - 465 BC) presented to the King of Wu after his defeat but he was insulted and humiliated during his imprisonment. Later after his release, he used this sword 巨阙 jùquè to defeat the King of Wu and exacted his revenge. This happened during the end of the Spring and Autumn Period 春秋时代 hūnqiū shídài. I will be telling this tale in greater details in a later post.

This sword was buried for more than 2000 years and when it was found there was no rust at all! It is a delicately made bronze sword measuring 55.6 cm in total length (slightly less than 2 feet). There are eight Chinese characters on the sword “越王鸠潜，自乍用剑" (yuè wáng jiū qián, zìzhà yòng jiàn), which means that this sword is belong to King Goujian of Yue.

珠 (pearl) 称 (called) 夜光 (YeQuang)。

The most famous pearls are known as 夜光 yè guāng or “Gleam of the Night”. (夜 is night 光 is bright). Nathan Sturman wrote that the “Gleam of the Night” was a legendary pearl which was once the eye of a whale and also referred to as 明月珠 míngyuèzhū “Bright Moon-Pearl”.

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"Gold in River Li, Jade in Kunlun Hill" - Thousand Character Classic 千字文 – Line 6

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金生丽水, 玉出崑冈。
jīn shēng lì shuǐ, yù chū kūn gāng。

http://www.internationalrivers.org/china/jinsha-river

金 (Gold) 生 (exist) 丽水 (River Li),

Gold was found in 丽水 lì shuǐ, the ancient name for Lijiang 丽江 lìjiāng prefecture in Yunnan province, China. It more specifically refer to Jingsha River 金沙江 jīnshājiāng or River of Golden Sand. The existence of gold was important as it was used as a basic commodity for trading in ancient China.

http://kunlunacupuncture.com/kunlun.aspx

玉 (jade) 出 (appear) 崑 (Kunlun) 冈 (ridge)。

Jade was found in the Kunlun mountain 昆仑山 Kūnlún Shān which is on the southern border of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The Kunlun mountain was famous for their high quality jade. Jade is considered to be even more valuable that gold as an ancient Chinese proverb said "You can put a price on gold, but jade is priceless.".

According to legend, jade is said to be created during a storm hence it is also called "Stone of Heaven". Jade symbolize virtue and Confucius was reputed to have said "Men of olden days regarded it as a symbol of the virtues. Its gentle, smooth, glossy appearance suggests charity of heart; its fine close texture and hardness suggests wisdom; it is firm and yet does not wound, suggesting duty to one's neighbor; it hangs down as though sinking, suggesting ceremony; struck, it gives a clear note, long drawn out, dying gradually away and suggesting music; its flaws do not hide its excellences, nor do its excellences hide its flaws, suggesting loyalty; it gains our confidence, suggesting truth; its spirituality is like the bright rainbow, suggesting the heavens above; its energy is manifested in hill and stream, suggesting the earth below; as articles of regalia it suggests the exemplification of that than which there is nothing in the world of equal value, and thereby is Tao itself."

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老张和小黄 Of Communist Chang & Pregnant Yellow – Part I

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In March this year, I was one of the guests of honor in a company annual dinner. After we were seated as is the Chinese dining culture, the toasting begun. I had a headache after lecturing the whole day and was trying to politely fend off all the toasts when an elegant lady came to make me one I could not refuse.

“Do you remember me?” she asked. I did not, cursing my poor recognition of faces.

“You once asked me what was my name and when I told you it was huáng ...”

This brought back memories of one of my most embarrassing mistake in learning the language. It was a terrible faux pas on my part. For when she told me her name was 黄 huáng, I innocently added “Oh, is it 黄色 huángsè 的黄?” She shyly corrected me “Oh, you should not say that! It is 大肚 dàdù (meaning big stomach or pregnant woman) 黄.” {The shape of the 黄 character has a big center looking like a big stomach. As the same pronunciation can stand for different Chinese characters, the Chinese devised creative ways to describe characters to clarify which they meant}.

This of course left me all confused as I did not know then why it was wrong to describe 黄 with黄色. What is wrong with yellow color? It was only later that I found out that 黄色 also means decadent, obscene and pornographic. It is the oriental equivalent of blue as in “blue film”. It is interesting to note that the Chinese word 色情 sèqíng for pornography is made up of the characters 色 [sè] meaning color and 情 [qíng] meaning feeling or emotion. Specifically yellow or 黄 was the color chosen to represent the decadent. So I found out the hard way that a gentleman never uses yellow to describe a lady.

(Check out Part II for another similar mistake involving my own surname 张)

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"From Clouds to Rain, from Dew to Frost" - Thousand Character Classic 千字文 – Line 5

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云腾致雨, 露结为霜。
yún téng zhì yǔ, lù jié wèi shuāng。


云 (clouds) 腾 (rise) 致 (cause) 雨 (rain),

When clouds rise and meet the colder atmosphere, condensation will take place and this will result in rain. This is a succinct and very clear explanation of how rain is formed considering this is written in only the 5th century.


露 (dew) 结 (form) 为 (become) 霜 (frost)。

Dew drops crystallize to become frost. Evelyn Lip added that ‘When water crystallizes in an area and appears as frost in the late autumn morning, it is called 早霜 zǎoshuāng (early frost). But if it appears in spring, it is called 晚霜 wǎnshuāng (late frost).'

"From Hot to Cold, From Harvest to Store" - Thousand Character Classic 千字文 – Line 3

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(oops. I mix up the lines - line 4 is in the earlier post)

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寒来暑往, 秋收冬藏。
hánlái-shǔwǎng, qiūshōu dōng cáng。

寒 (cold) 来 (come) 暑 (heat) 往 (go)

This refers to the four seasons of the year (Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter - 春夏秋冬 chūnxiàqiūdōng). The cold refers to the cold of winter and the word 暑 shǔ refers specifically to the heat of summer. This refers to the cyclical state of the season with one season following another. 寒来暑往 hánlái-shǔwǎng is also a phrase meaning “as time passes”.

秋 (autumn) 收 (harvest) 冬 (winter) 藏 (store)

This phrase further emphasizes the seasonal and climatic changes. Autumn follows winter. It also suggests that what is harvested in autumn should be stored for winter consumption. The seasons have a much greater influence on the lives of early dwellers whose farming activities revolve round the seasons. Thus, it is no surprise that the lunar calendar they used to time their activities is also called 农历 (nónglì) or farmers’ calendar.

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"The Rhythm of the Bamboo Pipe adjusts the Years" - Thousand Character Classic 千字文 – Line 4

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闰余成岁, 律吕调阳。
rùn yú chéng suì, lǜ Lǚ tiáo yáng。

闰 (intercalary) 余 (extra) 成 (turn into) 岁 (year)

Intercalary means inserting days or months into a calendar to make it correspond with a solar year. Ancient writings such as the 史记 Shǐ Jì (“Historical Records”) by 司马迁 Sīmǎ Qiān (c. 163-85 B.C.) have records showing how the lunar calendar was formed based on the cycle of the moon which consists of 355 ¼ days. This was shorter than the 365 ¼ days of the solar calendar. Thus intercalary days and months were introduced to adjust the lunar calendar to correspond with that of the solar calendar. The Chinese usually add an intercalary month to one out of three years to balance. This is what is meant by the above phrase.

律吕 (bamboo pitch-pipe) 调 (adjust) 阳 (Yang)

律吕 lǜlǚ is a musical instrument made from bamboo that has 12 pitch pipes of different lengths. Peng Fasheng in his notes state that “Ranging from low to high, the odd pitch pipes are called 律 lǜ and believed to represent Yang force, the even ones called 吕 Lǚ and believed to reflect Yin energy. They correspond to the twelve months of the year.” Thus, the phrase means the bamboo pitch-pipe is used to adjust or harmonize Yin and Yang. Evelyn Lip suggest that “all principles be they laws of justice or the laws of nature, are regulated in both negative and positive rhythms to achieve harmony, just like musical notes and rhythms.”

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"The Wax & Wane of Stars" - Thousand Character Classic 千字文 – Line 2

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日月盈昃, 辰宿列张。
rìyuè yíng zè, chén xiù liè zhāng。

日 (sun) 月 (moon) 盈 (wax) 昃 (set)

This refers to the cycle of the universe as in the waxing and waning of the moon, and the rising and setting of the sun. 日月 itself also means life and livelihood and thus this also refers to the cycle of Life itself.

辰 (stars) 宿 (constellations) 列 (arrange) 张 (spread)

辰 means celestial bodies and also time, period. It is the fifth of the 12 Earthly branches which represents a 2 hours period. 宿 is commonly pronounced as sù in modern Chinese but in this context it is xiù as used in ancient time. It is the character for the Chinese constellations, 28 of them in ancient Chinese astronomy. This implies that time and the universe is constantly changing.

(To elaborate on the Chinese marking of the hours of the day, I quoted the following from Wikipedia – “Under the traditional system of hour-marking, each day is divided into 12 units (時辰). Each of these units is equivalent to two hours of international time. Each is named after one of the twelve Earthly Branches. The first unit, Hour of Zi (子時), begins at 11 p.m. of the previous day and ends at 1 a.m. Traditionally, executions of condemned prisoners occur at the midpoint of Hour of Wu (正午時), i.e., noon.”)

(For the meaning of Earthly Branches, I quoted another section from Wikipedia - The Earthly Branches (Chinese: 地支; pinyin: dìzhī; or Chinese: 十二支; pinyin: shíèrzhī; literally "twelve branches") provide one Chinese system for reckoning time.

This system was built from observations of the orbit of Jupiter. Chinese astronomers divided the celestial circle into 12 sections to follow the orbit of 歳星 Suìxīng (Jupiter, the Year Star). Astronomers rounded the orbit of Suixing to 12 years (from 11.86). Suixing was associated with 攝提 Shètí (ɳ Boötes) and sometimes called Sheti.

In correlative thinking, the twelve years of the Jupiter cycle also identify the twelve months of the year, twelve animals (mnemonics for the system), directions, seasons, months, and Chinese hour in the form of double-hours. When a Branch is used for a double hour, the listed periods are meant. When used for an exact time of a day, it is the center of the period. For instance, 午 (the Horse) means noon or a period from 11am to 1pm.)

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"The Sky is black, the Earth is Yellow & the Universe is Vast" - Thousand Character Classic 千字文 – Line 1

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天地玄黄, 宇宙洪荒。
tiāndì xuánhuáng, yǔzhòu hónghuāng。


天 (sky) 地 (earth) 玄 (black) 黄 (yellow)

This has been interpreted as the sky is black and the earth yellow. It is interesting to note that 天地 also means heaven and earth and that 玄黄 can also mean the same thing. 玄黄 can also mean dark yellow. 天地玄黄 was changed to 天地远黄 in the Qing dynasty when 玄 was changed to 远 yuǎn out of respect to the Qing emperor 玄桦 Xuánhuà.

宇宙 (universe) 洪 (vast) 荒 (desolate)

Evelyn Lip said that in ancient writings such as the Huai Nan zi 淮南子, “宇 refers to everything around, above and below while 宙 represents both the past and present. In other words, the universe encompasses everything, ever-changing and fluctuating”. 洪荒 together also means primordial time. Thus, in the beginning the universe was created out of a vast, chaotic state.

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1000 Character Classic 千字文 – Introduction.

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The Thousand Character Classic (千字文) was composed by 周兴嗣 Zhōu Xìngsì in the Liang Dynasty (梁朝; Liáng cháo) (502-557). He was ordered by Emperor Liang Wu 梁武帝 Liáng Wǔdì to copy a thousand unique characters* from the calligraphy of Wang Xizhi 王羲之, (303–361) who is referred to as the Sage of Calligraphy 书圣 shūshèng for the purpose of educating his son.

Zhou shuffled 1000 characters from Wang’s work into 4 characters rhymed text composing 8 characters in a line. The character used are never repeated in this poem or essay. It is said that Zhou did the exacting task in only one night and the supreme effort turned his hair white the next morning. Thus, it became China’s earliest and most widely used basic literary text.

In accordance my effort to study Mandarin, I’ll be analyzing the Thousand Character Classic (千字文) by going through these 1000 characters according to their 8 x 125 lines. In this, I will draw from these sources –

Essay of One Thousand Characters (book) – translation by Peng Fasheng.
1000 Character Classic (book) – translation by Evelyn Lip.
The Thousand Character Essay (online article) – translation by Nathan Sturman.

Information from Wikipedia.

Different researches break down the 1000 characters into different sections. Peng Fasheng for example breaks them down into 4 parts. Part I (line 1 – 18) “outlines cosmological process and cultural revolution”. Part II (line 19-51) “dwells upon personal upbringing and moral virtues”. Part III (line 52 – 82) “surveys the administrative affairs of the noble classes and the vast territory of the empire.” Part IV (line 83 – 99)” narrates the pastoral life of tcommon people and technical prowess of craftsmen.” He singled out the last line as without substantial meaning. Nathan on the other hand just breaks them down into 7 separate chapters without an explanation. He just mentioned that – “The seven chapters deals with aspects of the world, nature, history, geography, society, and individual conduct while presenting, for practice, a basic set of characters at the core of the moral and intellectual world view of traditional China.”

It is generally quoted that one needs to memorize 3000 characters to have a reasonable grasp of Mandarin. As I always like to make my learning an experience and journey instead of a just mechanical act of repetition, I choose to learn 1000 of these characters through the Thousand Character Classic (千字文). As they said, the start of a long journey begins with the first character but it doesn’t have to start with 一 (yí).

(*In classic Chinese, the characters were not repeated. However, in conversion to simplified Chinese a few characters were duplicated but the meanings are different.)

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The Art and Wit of Ding Cong. 丁聪和他的漫画.

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I was reading a book “Wit and Humour from Ancient China” 古趣集 gǔqù jí depicting 100 cartons of the famous Chinese artist Ding Cong 丁聪 Dīng Cōng who signed his works as 小丁 Xiǎo Dīng. In fifty years of his career, Mr. Ding had drawn and illustrated a very wide range of subjects including illustrating for many famous writers such as Lu Xun (especially for his brilliant illustrations of Lu Xun’s masterpiece “The True Story of Ah Q”) and many other modern Chinese writers.

Story 42 is titled “A Difference of Words” and we will see what a small difference can make. On assuming a new office, a self-proclaimed honest official put up a notice in his hall. It consisted of three “don’t wants”- 三不要 sānbùyào. It said he –

不要钱 bùyào qián – Don’t want money.
不要官 bùyào guān – Don’t want post.
不要命 bùyào mìng – Don’t want Life (meaning not afraid to die).

A few days later, someone made a few small additions at the bottom of the words.

不要钱 嫌少 bùyào qián xiánshǎo – Don’t want money, if it is too little.
不要官 嫌小 bùyào guān xiánxiǎo – Don’t want post, if it is lower.
不要命 嫌老 bùyào mìng xiánlǎo – Don’t want Life, if it is too short.

So beware of the person who said he “don’t want” when he means “too little”. A common trait of the corrupt, something 丁聪 understood.

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Ode To Red Cliff 念奴嬌 赤壁懷古

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In that car journey from Dongguan (see last post), my friend narrated his last meeting with his friend who questioned the life he had been living. What has it all being for? For money? Security? Status? The good things in Life? Are they worth the sacrifices? Isn’t it in the end, no matter what one achieved; they are just like 浪淘沙 (làngtáoshā), sands that are washed away by the relentless tides of time.

Or is Life just an illusion as suggested by 苏轼 Sū Shì’s Ode to Red Cliff 念奴娇 - 赤壁怀古 (niàn nú jiāo - Chìbì huáigǔ). Even if one is as kingly as Li Yu 李煜 lǐyù or as heroic as Zhou Yu 周瑜 Zhōu Yú, in the end we will still be swept away by the Great River to the East. Maybe he sensed his end was near. He was not feeling well and intended to visit the hospital for a thorough check-up. He did not do so immediately because he was busy and needed to go for another outstation trip. He never made it back.

Ode to Red Cliff was the second poem he quoted in this reminiscence just before his demise. I did not know this friend of his but I was sad when I heard his story.

念奴娇 - 赤壁怀古 niàn nú jiāo - Chìbì huáigǔ

苏轼 Sū Shì

大江东去, 浪淘尽、千古风流人物。
故垒西边, 人道是、三国周郎赤壁。
乱石崩云, 惊涛裂岸, 卷起千堆雪。
江山如画, 一时多少豪杰!

遥想公瑾当年, 小乔初嫁了, 雄姿英发。
羽扇纶巾, 谈笑间、樯橹灰飞烟灭。
故国神游, 多情应笑我, 早生华发。
人生如梦, 一樽还酹江月。


dàjiāng dōngqù, làngtáojìn, qiāngǔ fēngliú rénwù.
gùlěi xībian, réndào shì, Sānguó Zhōuláng Chìbì.
luànshí bēngyún, jīngtāo liè àn, juǎnqǐ qiān duīxuě,
jiāngshān-rúhuà, yīshí duōshao háojié!

yáoxiǎng gōngjǐn dāngnián, xiǎoqiáo chūjià le, xióngzī yīngfā.
yǔshàn-guānjīn, tánxiào jiān, qiánglǔ huīfēi yānmiè.
gùguó shényóu, duōqíng yīngxiào wǒ, zǎoshēng huáfà.
rénshēng rúmèng, yīzūn huánlèi jiāngyuè.

Nian Nu Jiao (Graceful Nian Nu) - Ode To Red Cliff

The Great River flows east, its waves sweeping away, all distinguished figures.
The fortress in the west of Red Cliff, it is said, stood Zhou Yu of the Three Kingdoms.
Scraggy rocks piercing clouds, sudden waves smashing the shores, into a thousand snow flakes.
The scene is like a painting, for a while, full of heroes!

Recalled Zhou Yu in his prime, Xiao Qiao by his side, in full majestic splendour.
The composed master strategist; talked and laughed, while the enemy's ships went up in flames.
A romantic journey to the past, I laughed at the sentimental me, prematurely turning gray.
Life is like a passing dream, a toast to the moon's reflection.

Waves Washing Sand 浪淘沙

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We were cruising along the highway from Dongguan to Shenzhen, China to attend an Annual Dinner. I have not met this friend of mine for many years and have much to talk about. We first met eighteen years ago when Shekou, 蛇口 Shékǒu (the port servicing Shenzhen 深圳 Shēnzhèn) was still a sleepy fishing village. Then, paddy fields and duck farms flanked the road throughout the one hour journey from Shekou to Shenzhen. Today, it is high rise buildings all the way.

Like old friends, we talked about the past and the individual path we each took. We talked about choices and wondered if we made the correct one. We talked about responsibility and ambition. We talked about the purpose and meaning of Life. Along the way, our conversation led us to 浪淘沙 làngtáoshā for we wondered if our lives are like the waves washing the sand, erasing all our footsteps.

This poem was by Li Yu 李煜 lǐyù, who was the last ruler of the Southern Tang Kingdom 南唐 Nán Táng from 961 to 975 during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. The kingdom fell to the Song Dynasty 宋朝 Sòng Cháo in 975 and Li Yu and his family were held captives in the Song capital at present-day Kaifeng 开封 Kāifēng. His best poems were written during this period as he lamented the lost of his kingdom and the pleasures it brought him. He was poisoned by the Song emperor after he wrote a poem lamenting his lost.

Once he was a king, now he is a prisoner. Time washes us all, over…

浪淘沙 làngtáoshā

帘外雨潺潺, liánwàiyǔchánchán,
春意阑珊。 chūnyì lánshān.
罗衾不耐五更寒。 luóqīnbùnài wǔgènghán.
梦里不知身是客, mènglǐ bùzhī shēn shìkè,
一晌贪欢。 yīshǎng tān huān.

独自莫凭栏, dúzì mò pínglán,
无限江山, wúxiàn jiāngshān
别时容易见时难。 biéshí róngyì jiàn shínán.
流水落花春去也, liúshuǐ luòhuā chūn qùyě,
天上人间。 tiānshàng-rénjiān.


Outside the curtain, the rain murmurs,
Spring draws to an end.
The quilt cannot resist the fifth watch cold.
I did not realize I was a guest in my dream,
Coveting pleasure.

I should not be alone leaning on these railings,
While spread before me the limitless country,
It is easy to part but difficult to again meet.
Like fallen flowers on flowing water, spring is gone,
So is my paradise.

My friend told me that this was one of the two poems a closed friend of his quoted recently just before his sudden death questioning whether all we strived for were in vain…

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(The other poem is 念奴娇 or Ode to Red Cliff which I'll translate for the next post)

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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A Melancholy Night Picking Mulberries. 采桑子

Tonight (written last night) I was kind of melancholy so I searched for a poem to reflect my gloom. With my limited command of the language, I will have to be very lucky to find something that can paint my mood. But what do you know? Luck favours the one who try.

I am happy to find this simple yet beautiful poem by 辛弃疾 xīnqìjí. As I translated the poem, I transferred my feelings to the words so I’ll be picking mulberries before I go to sleep tonight.

采桑子 cǎisāngzǐ
Picking Mulberries

少年不知愁滋味,爱上层楼。
爱上层楼,为赋新诗强说愁。
shàonián bùzhī chóu zīwèi, ài shàngcéng lóu.
ài shàngcéng, wèi fù xīnshī qiáng shuō chóu.

When young I know not melancholy's flavor, but love to go upstairs.
Love to go upstairs, to write of imagined sorrow.

而今识尽愁滋味,欲说还休。
欲说还休,却道天凉好个秋!
érjīn shí jìn chóu zīwèi, yù shuō hái xiū.
yù shuō hái xiū, què dào tiān liáng hǎo gè qiū.

But now that I have tasted its bitterness, I hesitated to speak.
Hesitated to speak, except to sigh "what a cold autumn!"

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A Hill Too Far 遥远的山

Last week I was having breakfast with three new friends in Beirut 贝鲁 bèilǔ . We were among sixteen strangers from diverse backgrounds but there in Lebanon 黎巴嫩 Líbānèn for the same reason. One of the girls was wearing a Mount Kinabalu T-shirt. She confirmed that she had climbed that hill leading me to lament that it was “A Hill Too Far” 遥远的山 yáoyuǎn deshān for me because it reminded me of the epic World War II film “A Bridge Too Far” 遥远的桥 yáoyuǎn deqiáo. where the Allied forces failed in an attempt to break through the German line by capturing a bridge too far.

There had been several occasions when I planned to climb Mt. Kinabalu but each time, something came up to disrupt my plan. They said I could still climb it but somehow I felt that I’m not fated (没有缘 méiyǒuyuán) to do so.

So I’ll climb other hills and give this a miss for the time being for as the song sings “Que Sera Sera, whatever will be will be. The future is not ours to see, what will be, will be”. Whatever is yours will be yours eventually.

命里有时终须有 mìnglǐ yǒushí zhōng xūyǒu
命里无时莫强求 mìnglǐ wúshí mò qiǎngqiú

It is not that this hill is unreachable 遥不可及 yáobùkějí. I just do not want to feel that I’m compelled to climb it which is what it will feel like if I force myself. Maybe one fine day, I’ll feel like it is the right time to climb that hill and I will. Meanwhile, I will live with the romance of a distant unattainable hill.

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Staring Into The Mouth of Mt. Bromo. 婆罗摩火山

Last weekend, I was standing at the edge of the crater (火山口 huǒshānkǒu) staring into the mouth of the majestic Mt. Bromo (婆罗摩火山 póluómó huǒshān); the most famous volcano in Indonesia (印尼 yìnní) that you can still visit after Krakatoa (喀拉喀托 kālākātuō) sank into the sea in 1883 after a disastrous volcanic eruption 火山爆发 huǒshān bàofā. Mt. Bromo is about 200km from the city of Surabaya 泗水 sìshuǐ. I wonder why Surabaya was not translated by sound but instead acquire this rather unflattering name which in Chinese means mucous water.


White plumes of cloud continuously poured forth from the fissures in the center. As I stood at the edge of the barren volcano, I recalled a French proverb that said “grass will not grow on a volcano” but could not think of a Chinese proverb or found one later. Maybe the Chinese are not that acquainted with a volcano? But they have plenty of proverbs for fire such as this one - 真金不怕火炼 zhēnjīn bù pà huǒ liàn which said “true gold is not afraid of fire” and means that a person of character can withstand severe trials.


We have to cross a sea of sand in 4 wheel drives to reach Mt. Bromo and the inactive Mt. Batok nearby where grass does grow on it. Sometimes, one thinks grass is smarter than man. There is a Hindu temple at the base. You can reach it and the 240 steps that will take you up Mt. Bromo by foot or on horseback. They still make sacrifices to the Volcano God but flood and fire has no mercy 水火无情 shuǐhuǒ-wúqíng. The last time Mt. Bromo was dangerous enough to evacuate the people living nearby was only in 2004 while Mt. Semeru erupts every 20 minutes.


Mt. Bromo and Mt. Batok are actually within the massive collapsed crater Tengger caldera (diameter approximately 10 km!). And the the Laut Pasir (Sea of Sand) are fine volcanic sand (火山灰 huǒshānhuī). As I reluctantly leave this place, I was reminded of another French proverb “don’t dance on a volcano” but still cannot find anything witty in Chinese. But there are no volcanoes in France, are there? Languages are sometimes as strange as volcanoes.

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(Incidentally, one of my traveling companion is French. Tomorrow, I’ll be going to Lebanon 黎巴嫩 Líbānèn – see you when I get back).

The Ways of A Chinese Gentleman. 礼仪廉耻

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If you watched Malaysian TV during this period, you may come across a man and a woman who kept repeating these four Chinese words 礼仪廉耻 lǐ yí lián chǐ and a phrase explaining each of these words. It is not an advertisement and I could only conclude that it is a message for these four words form part of the core of Chinese thinking of what a gentleman is. At least, that is how 孔子 Kǒngzǐ or Confucius saw it.

礼(lǐ) 规规矩矩的态度 well-behaved manner
guīgui-jūjū de tàidu

By itself 礼(lǐ) means courtesy. The additional phrase emphasized this meaning using more words and rhyme serving as a form of Chinese mnemonic. 规矩 guīju found within this group of words mean “rule and custom”. It also means “well-behaved” and 态度 tàidu manner or attitude. Thus, one can say the same thing in one word or seven but the longer phrase sure sounds better especially when spoken together with the other.

仪(yí) 正正当当的行为 proper behavior
zhèngzhèngdāngdāng de xíngwéi

仪(yí) by itself means appearance, bearing or etiquette. 正当 zhèngdàng means proper while 行为 xíngwéi means behaviour. The repetition of words emphasized the rhyme. The above is an excellent example of the economy, grace and power of the Chinese language for when you combined 礼(lǐ) with 仪(yí), you get 礼仪 lǐyí which means etiquette, rite or protocol which is a combination in meaning of these two words.

廉(lián) 清清白白的辨别 unbiased view
qīngqīngbáibái de biànbié

廉 lián means honest and upright. 清白 qīngbái means pure and 辨别 biànbié to differentiate. Thus, 廉(lián) is explained as being pure in making differentiation or having an unbiased view.

耻(chǐ) 确确实实的觉悟 true realization
quèquèshíshí de juéwù

耻(chǐ) is interesting for it actually means shame or humiliation while the explanation given is having true realization. For 确实 quèshí means true while 觉悟 juéwù means awareness. In this case, the character 耻(chǐ) is not to be taken in isolation but as a combination with 廉(lián) for 廉耻 liánchǐ means sense of honor/shame. Only if one has a sense of honor/shame, can one differentiate between right and wrong and possess a conscience.

This is an excellent example to showcase the beauty of the Chinese language. I liked it so much that I am going to put them together so you can read it and take delight in the sound and meaning.

礼(lǐ) 规规矩矩的态度

仪(yí) 正正当当的行为
廉(lián) 清清白白的辨别
耻(chǐ) 确确实实的觉悟

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The Sister-in-law’s Vinegar Fish. 西湖醋鱼

During the Southern Song dynasty, there lived two Song brothers who were intellects. However, they did not want to work for the government choosing to live the simple life of fishermen. An evil local officer who coverted the elder Song brother's beautiful wife, schemed to have him poisoned. When the younger brother went to the government office 衙门 yámen to lodge a complaint, it was not only disregared but he was also beaten up.

He had no choice but to flee Hangzhou for his own safety. Just before he left, his sister-in-law used sugar and vinegar to cook him a parting meal with a fish saying “这菜有酸有甜,望你有出头之日,勿忘今日辛酸” This dish is both sweet and sour. I hope that should you later succeed in Life, that you do not forget the bitterness of this day."

The younger brother later became renowned for helping his country to fight against invaders and was rewarded with a high status. He returned to his hometown to punish the evil doers. However he could not find any traces of his sister-in-law. One day while attending a banquet he tasted the familiar fish dish and discovered his sister-in-law living in incognito 隐姓埋名 yǐnxìng-máimíng and they were reunited.

Henceforth, this dish was known as 西湖醋鱼 Xī Hú cùyú (West Lake Vinegar Fish). It was also sometimes called Sister-in-law's Treasures “叔嫂传珍” shūsǎo chuánzhēn and was passed down as another of Hangzhou's famous dishes.

I dug into the tender meat of the succulent fish without hesitation and liked the mild taste of vinegar rounded off by the sweetness of sugar. There is just a tinge of sourness, enough to touch the soft spot of my heart at the plight of the sister-in-law but not sharp enough to bring out any tears…

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A Dish Named After A Poet. 东坡肉

The first night in Hángzhōu 杭州, we went to its most famous restaurant serving not only authentic Hangzhou dishes but also cooked in the 正宗 zhèngzōng orthodox way. 楼外楼 lóu wài lóu is a 150 plus years old establisment sited in an grand mansion refurbished into a beautifully decorated restaurant. Many felt that it fully deserved its reputation of being the best restaurant south of the Yangtse “江南第一楼” Jiāngnán dì-yī lóu. It was unfortunate that the rooms facing West Lake 西湖 Xī Hú were under renovation or we could be having dinner taking in the lovely lake scene. Still, I was glad to be there that night and was treated to many famous Hangzhou dishes. As promised, below is the most famous dish of them all.

During the reign of the Song 宋 Sòng dynasty 苏东坡 Sū Dōngpō became the regional official of 杭州 Hángzhōu (capital of 浙江 Zhèjiāng province). He organized the people to dredge the West Lake 西湖 Xī Hú and to build dykes to irrigate the field. In the spring of that year, some of the citizens knowing how Sū Dōngpō loved meat, sent him pork and wine. Receiving so much, he felt that he should share it and instructed his household to cook the meat for the labourer working on the dyke.

By accident, his servants added the wine to the meat while they were cooking it resulting in the pork having a most fragrant and appetizing taste. The people copied this distinctive method of cooking and named it after him. Hence, this dish became known as “东坡肉” dōngpōròu and Hangzhou's most famous traditional dish.

I stared at the thick slice of pork, two third of which is fat and hesitated to take a bite though it looked and smell so appetizing. It has a rich reddish brown lustre and an aromatic wine fragrance. My dining companion said that “this is a most sinful dish” and I have to agree. But one bite and I’m in gastronomic heaven. The rich full meaty taste was greatly enhanced by the fragrant wine and yes, the tender succulent fat. To say it was lovely was an understatement… It was more like love…

Going to Hangzhou’s West Lake 苏东坡的西湖

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I’ll be going to Hangzhou 杭州 Hángzhōu tonight and spent a couple of days there before going to Suzhou and Shanghai. It is on company business, unfortunately. But I never fail to pause and smell the flowers along any path I travel. And I’m sure there will be stories to share when I get back.

I’ll of course find my way to the famed West Lake, where the weeping willows framed its bank. It was said that it was governor and poet Sū Dōngpō 苏东坡 who introduced these graceful weeping willows that really bring out its character. And he wrote a famous poem that compared West Lake 西湖 Xī Hú to 西施 Xishi, one of the four most beautiful woman in historical China.

West Lake in Sunshine and Rain.

饮湖上初晴后雨
yǐn hú shàng chū qíng hòu yǔ

水光潋滟晴方好,
shuǐ guāng liànyàn qíng fāng hǎo
山色空蒙雨亦奇。
shānsè kōng méng yǔ yì qí
欲把西湖比西子,
yù bǎ Xī Hú bǐ Xishi
淡妆浓抹总相宜。
dàn zhuāng mā zǒng xiāngyí

Shimmering water on a bright sunny day. or the
marvellous sight of distant rain veiled hills
West Lake is as Xishi, beautiful -
whether plainly dressed or richly adorned.

I will be writing more about Sū Dōngpō 苏东坡 when I get back. Not only is he a good 官 guān official and calligrapher but he also has a famous dish 东坡肉 dōngpōròu named after him. How many poets do you know who can lay claim to that?

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Invitation to Wine - Part II. 将进酒

I am not much of a drinker and my capacity for liquor 酒量 jiǔliàng is not good. I do not enjoy getting drunk because I do not believe one can drown one’s worries in drink 借酒浇愁 jièjiǔ-jiāochóu or forget oneself in one’s cups 酒后失态 jiǔhòushītài.

I do enjoy a drink or two in quiet setting and good conversation. So I do not really “share” the joy of drinking 酒兴 jiǔxìng as brought up in this and other drinking poems. But I can appreciate the beauty and romanticism of release and abandonment from mundane existence and “endless worries” through wine especially in the age of the gentlemen scholar.

Having paused before the wonderful calligraphy, the strong drinkers turned to head towards the bar to continue their 进酒 jìnjiǔ toasts. While we, the group of weaker drinkers already over our head in wine headed the other directions to the safety of our beds and our drunken dreams. I wondered if I will enjoy drinking more if I can hold my liquor better? To be honest, probably. But I being what I am, can only enjoy the poems on drinking more than the drinks itself; maybe more than some famous drinkers...

与君歌一曲, 请君为我侧耳听。
yǔ jūn gē yī qū, qǐng jūn wèi wǒ cè'ěr tīng 。
钟鼓馔玉不足贵, 但愿长醉不愿醒。
zhōng gǔ zhuàn yù bùzú guì, dànyuàn cháng zuì bù yuàn xǐng 。
古来圣贤皆寂寞, 惟有饮者留其名。
gǔlái shèngxián jiē jìmò, wéiyǒu yǐn zhě liú qí míng 。
陈王昔时宴平乐, 斗酒十千恣欢谑。
chén wáng xī shí yàn pínglè, dòu jiǔ shí qiān zì huān xuè 。
主人何为言少钱, 径须沽取对君酌。
zhǔrén hé wèi yán shǎo qián, jìng xū gū qǔ duì jūn zhuó 。
五花马,千金裘, 呼儿将出换美酒,
wǔ huā mǎ, qiān jīn qiú, hū ér jiāng chū huàn měijiǔ,
与尔同销万古愁。
yǔ ěr tóng xiāo wàngǔ chóu。

For you I will sing a tune,
Please do hear me sing.
Bells and drums, delicacies and jades are not that precious,
I only wish I could stay drunk and not wake.
The ancient sages were all lonely,
Only the drinkers leave their names.
King Chen threw a feast in Ping Le,
Ten thousand rounds of toasts and happy banters.
My host, why complain lack of money?
Just buy more drinks for your guests
With my rare horse and expensive fur,
In exchange for more fragrant wine,
To melt away our endless worries.

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Invitation to Wine - Part I 将进酒

It has been some time since I was entertained to a formal dinner in China and things have changed. That night in Dongguan we were seated lucky eighteen to a large table, in one of many round tables. Even before the food arrived, the toasting began. And they were doing it with red wine in elegant wine glasses now.

There were one to one toast, many to one toast and all round toast. In the all round toast where the dinner guests were seated too far apart to clink glasses, we just clink the base of the glass to the large glass Lazy Susan in the centre of the table.

It was a good thing that only a little wine was poured each time but the rounds were endless. Waves and waves of toasting for every conceivable reasons. And it is considered good form to empty your cups. 感情深，一口闷; 感情浅，舔一舔 gǎnqíngshēn, yīkǒumēn; gǎnqíngqiǎn, tiǎnyītiǎn. “If our friendship is deep, drink to the bottom, if shallow, drink a little.” So it is difficult to turn down drinks when they were showing you their empty glasses.

As we unsteadily filed out from the restaurant after the bout to the lobby, there was a huge painting on the wall. It was a poem by the famous poet 李白 lǐbái. My boss paused before it and praised the poem drawing nods from all the ‘famous’ drinkers. This is the first part of the poem - 将进酒 jiāngjìnjiǔ and my translation (I’ll be happy to receive any comments including brickbats).

君不见黄河之水天上来, 奔流到海不复回。
jūn bùjiàn HuángHé zhī shuǐ tiānshàng lái, bēnliú dào hǎi bùfù huí。
君不见高堂明镜悲白发, 朝如青丝暮成雪。
jūn bùjiàn gāotáng míngjìng bēi báifà, zhāo rú qīngsī mù chéng xuě。
人生得意须尽欢, 莫使金樽空对月。
rénshēng déyì xū jìn huān, mò shǐ jīn zūn kōng duì yuè 。
天生我材必有用, 千金散尽还复来。
tiānshēng wǒ cái bì yǒuyòng, qiānjīn sàn jìn hái fù lái
烹羊宰牛且为乐, 会须一饮三百杯。
pēng yáng zǎi niú qiě wèi lè, huì xū yī yǐn sān bǎi bēi。
岑夫子,丹丘生, 将进酒,君莫停。
cén fūzǐ, dānqiū shēng, jiāngjìnjiǔ, jūn mò tíng。

Do you not see the yellow river descending from Heaven,
Rushing out to sea, never to return?
Do you not see in the hall’s mirror your sad white hair,
Silken black in the morning, snow white by night?
Life is to be enjoyed while it is good,
Tip not an empty cup to the moon.
The talent Heaven gifted should be used,
For what gold spent to return.
Cook a goat, slaughter a cow for a feast,
And drink up three hundred cups!
Master Cen, young Danqiu,
Bring in the wine, let it never stop.

(The second part of this poem will continue in the next post…)

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