01 陋室銘 - 劉禹錫 A Humble Dwelling Inscription Liu Yü Hsi 02 山不在高, 有仙則名; Hills need no great height to achieve fame if it is the abode of immortals. 03 水不在深, 有龍則靈. Rivers need no great depth to become mystical if dragons live in it. 04 斯是陋室, 惟吾德馨. A spartan room needs only my lofty moral character of fragrance. 05 苔痕上階綠, Traces of moss creep upon the steps verdant, 06 草色入簾青; The green grass reflects into my window virescent; 07 談笑有鴻儒, Witty chats from the many learned, 08 往來無白丁. But nary from those mundane. 09 可以調素琴, Where the unadorned zither can be tuned, 10 閱金經; Where flaxen characters of the Classics can be read; 11 無絲竹之亂耳, No string or reed to confuse the ear, 12 無案牘之勞形. No document to tire the body. 13 南陽諸葛廬, The grass hut of Chu Ge Liang in Nanyang. 14 西蜀子雲亭. The literary studio of Tzu Yun of Western Szechuan. 15 孔 子云：Confucius had stated: 16 何陋之有 “Whence the spartannese?” 01. 陋 means simple and therefore can be extended to mean spartan, humble etc. 室 can also mean a room. In the old days, the poor a single room is used for multi-purposes except for the backhouse. 宗室 means “the “House of….”, as in the House of the Hapsburg i.e. the imperial clan. 銘 means to engrave, to etch. Here it means an inscription to remind one’s conduct, morals, principles. Later it became a literary style of writing where parallel lines are of the norm. 2-3, 5-6, 7-8, 11-12, 13-14 are such lines. 07. 鴻 here means 洪 – aplenty 08. common people or the illiterate 09. plain looking zithers without elaborate and ornate inlays 10. It can also mean the Buddhist Diamond Sutra or Taoist canons written in gold ink. 11. Stringed and reed musical instruments. Here they are referred to the cacophony of various sects to sway one’s thinking to theirs. 13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhuge_Liang 14. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yang_Xiong_(author) 子雲 literally “the scion of clouds” 15. All those mentioned lived after Confucius. In the Analects, Confucius was once told by someone that a place he is going to live is too spartan. He replied that if a gentleman is there, no matter how spartan, his presence will make the place worthwhile. Friday, July 03, 2020

A Requested Translation This is from https://www.italki.com/question/487882 漆黑的夜晚 一點光都沒有的一天裡 One dark night painted in blackness with nary a dot of light 像我一個人站著 just like me standing all alone 無論是什麼話語 都不想聽的日子裡 No matter what words transpired in the days, I am unwilling to hear 是阿 你總是在那裏 Oh yes, you are still there... 讓我十分平靜 十分喜歡 It makes me feel at ease and delighted 也讓我感到害怕 And at the same time, be fearful 遠處行走著的人們裡 In midst of those far off travellers, 只有你散發著光彩 Only you glow in aura and 就算是疲憊的一天 Even so the day you are in fatigue 因為有珍惜我的你 This is because you cherish me 很感謝 I am grateful 偶爾我轉過頭看 還沒長大的這世界裡 This world still in youth, 除了我們沒有其他人的過去 Just you and me; and no one else 雖然又會想念那段日子 But even so, thinking of those days, 比起如最初般的悸動 comparing on the beginning how our hearts throb for each other, 溫暖的注視著彼此 In warmth gazing upon one and another 現在這樣的模樣更加珍貴 And as for now, even more precious of then 長久以來 Long it has been since then 沒想到我們會一起微笑 Never thought faint smiles would arise together 我 或是你也是這樣吧 I, perhaps you too, am like this 偶爾莫名的不安 Once in a while, uneasiness of no name, 也會有心痛的日子 And days too, hearts a ache. 艱難的爭吵日子裡 In the days when we bicker, 不知不覺日益擴大的心你也知道的 Days of nescience, our hearts grew, this you know … 因那種關係而幸福 That relation of such happiness, 因為愛著你 Because, I kept on loving you, 才能做著相同的夢 To achieve the same dream, 因為是你 Because you are you, 迷茫的未來路途 And even this foggy road of tomorrow, 也要一起走下去, In togetherness, we shall walk.

Sunset Creative Style: The sunset was resplendent like the bedecked raiment of a goddess. Technical Style: The light at sundown was diffracted at different angles by air particles causing different wavelengths to be scattered differently. Conversational Style: The sunset was very colorful.

Happy Mid Autumn 銀滿中秋半天空 Half the Mid-Autumn sky aglow in silvery brightness, 邀約嫦娥詩酒逢 The invited Goddess of the Moon joins us in wine and poems. 家家歡聚戶戶樂 Every family in joyous reunion, each household in delight. 孰曉廣寒孤單夢 Who would think of lonely dreams in the Lunar Palace?

Seventh Night It's now that time in Asia... An old poem that I had been monkeying with 袁枚's 馬嵬... 一條銀流天上河, The Milky Way is the only slivery flow in the celestial realm, 莫唱當年長恨歌. So sing not of the then Song of Unending Sorrow. 人間離别無盡淚, For there are endless parting tears in the mortal world, 更比長生殿前多. Had shed far more than those in the Palace of Eternal Life.

Another Interpretation This is another interpretation to the the photo posted at https://www.italki.com/notebook/718609/entry/982997 船頭烟雨雲鎖客 Misty rain on the prow; fog enshrouding the traveller, 伸指難辨眼前白 Outstretched hands; disappearing into the whiteness ahead. 若緣仙氣散迷津 And if destined; fairy breaths will banish all this blurriness, 露出蟠桃兩岸隔 Revealing the peaches of immortality separated by both banks. 凡世恩怨眷不顧 All worldly amities and grudges no longer a concern, 兩袖清風再無責 Sleeves billowing; nary a responsibility to shoulder. 逍遙莫恐五更夢 Carefree; no longer afraid of daybreak dreams, 重回曾失弱冠刻 Returning once more to lost halcyon days of his youth.

Interpretations 1. Although Fred is a nice guy, he beats his dog. 2. Although Fred beats his dog, he is a nice guy. 3. Fred is a nice guy but he beats his dog. 4. Fred beats his dog but he is a nice guy. The data is the same. 1. Fred is a nice guy. 2. He beats his dog. Now judge Fred! Facts do not speak for themselves. If you have access to Youtube, start watching from 27:27 for the answer... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLPCdDp_LE0

An Inspired Poem My week's vacation to the Grand Canyon and this is what I got in return :) Better than any souvenir offered from anywhere... 窅然危坐聽谷音 Relaxing in a dangerous pose, listening to the valley sounds, 赤壁青衣點蒼林 Red cliffs clothing in green forests touching the heavens. 景前靜觀萬劫宏 Viewing the grand majesty of the millennia changes before thee, 非覺時刻黄昏沉 And not realizing that time is passing and twilight deepening. 妬忌各下休閑態 Envy abound in your carefree manners, 初日春光背影金 Even in the back shadow of youth a thousand piece gold of worth. 宴盡酒闋念歌還 When merriment is gone and wine no more, I yearn for songs to return, 芝麻人生懺而今 An insignificant life, now in remorse. 夜穹越黑星更明 Darker the night vault, the brighter stars be, 寒来一風刺骨針 But along comes a bone chilling wind... 銀河雖廣眼力退 Vast is the Milky Way but my eyesight, not as sharp of yore, 何憂年華夢無斟 Fret not that dreams won't come pouring in for the young. 莫羨神仙慕鴛鴦 Jealous not of immortals but of lovers envy be, 寂寞淚滴滿胸襟 And lonely tears go drip drip, bosom soaked. 此說勿知老人痛 This sort of talk knows nary of aged pains, 豈問不識舊路尋 "Why seek not of your old way back?", you naively asked. Saturday, April 06, 2019

When You Are Old (當你老了) by William Yates A lovely song based on Yates' poem... Some parts of the English and the original Chinese do not match. My translation (not set to music) of the original poem. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyYOzl1RbBE&t=31s When you are old and grey and full of sleep,老來蒼髮眠滿間 And nodding by the fire, take down this book,壁爐火邊欲瞌時 And slowly read, and dream of the soft look取落此書緩閱夢 Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep1;曾經麗眼深皺影 How many loved your moments of glad grace2,天香國色憐惜悅 And loved your beauty with love false3 or true,貪色真情得若干 But one man loved the pilgrim soul4 in you,一人戀彼行者心 And loved the sorrows of your changing face;移變愁容亦無異 And bending down beside the glowing bars,熱紅橫柱余伏伴 Murmur, a little sadly, how Love fled自喃微悲恩逃脫 And paced upon the mountains overhead奔騰山頭徘徊避 And hid his face amid a crowd of stars.他顏群星心中蔽 William Yates 1. "deep wrinkles" or past events that cannot be forgotten 2. "glad" can be "happy", "grateful", "innocence" etc, all the qualities men may find enticing. 3. Greediness for beauty is not true love. 4. I am using the term from Monkey King 西遊記 to describe all the qualities of a pilgrim. Easier this way than trying to second guess the poet.