Sunday 29 January 2017

春似酒味醇厚 歲月悠悠--春靜候別無求 紅塵看透 Spring is just like wine

"中國文化, 真是绝妙 :

                春
              似酒
            味醇厚
          歲月悠悠
        轉身又回首
      再無喜樂哀愁
    往事如煙花依舊
  唯友誼綿長如水流
緣牽一路有你陪著走
晨曦襯彩霞雨中漫遊
待到紅葉濃時再聚首
  品茶論酒賞石敘舊
    落英滿地雲舒袖
      歡聲笑語不休
        夕陽掛枝頭
          紅塵看透
            別無求
              靜候
                春
工作忙的由上而下讀;
  1.  春似酒味醇厚
已退休的由下向上念,
  2.  靜候別無求
感受不同啊!"
what a fantastic chinese language!
i just rec'd the above thought-provoking chinese poem  很好的一首「鑽石詩」from my wife's group of old classmates of some 50 years (since primary school!). 
an attempted translation follows. 
"Spring is Just Like Wine"
-- A 'Reversible Poem' (2 Moods) by Unknown
-- Translated by Frank C Yue
Spring is just like wine,
So smooth, caressing, fine.
Time is like a river flowing,
I think of the past whilst my back turning.
Happiness, joy, sadness and lament are no more,
Past events gone, still the flowers are like before.
Long lasting is friendship only,
Flowing like the waters endlessly.
Fate brought us together since the old days,
You've been walking by my side all the way.
The morning Sun cradled by coloured clouds,
We loiter in the rain, coming down loud.
Till the red leaves are thick and deep,
Will meet again -- you and I,
We will have tea and wine,
Admire the rocks, and our memories keep.
In fallen petals the ground may be steep'd,
Yet with our sleeves the white clouds we would sweep.
Cheers and laughter non-stopping,
While the red Sun setting
Atop the branch a-sitting...
Detached from the secular world completely,
Desire-less, we all await Spring quietly.  

Thursday 19 January 2017

呂蒙正 天有不測風雲 人有旦夕禍福 The weather just changes when you expect it least

 勸世文  宋 • 呂蒙正


天有不測風雲,人有旦夕禍福。

An Admonitory Essay (Excerpt translation) -- by LU MENGZHENG (946-1011) 
-- Translated by Frank C Yue

The weather just changes when you expect it least;
In an instant, along comes disaster or bliss.

宋.呂蒙正勸世文

天有不測風雲,人有旦夕禍福。
蜈蚣百足,行不及蛇;雄雞兩翼,飛不過鴨。馬有千里之程,無騎不能自往;人有沖天之志,非運不能自通。蓋聞:人生在世,富貴不能淫,貧賤不能移。文章蓋世,孔子困厄於陳邦;武略超群,太公釣於渭水。顏淵命短,殊非兇惡之徒;盜跖年長,豈是善良之輩。堯帝明聖,卻生不肖之兒;瞽叟愚頑,反生大孝之子。張良原是布衣,蕭何稱謂縣吏。晏子身無五尺,封為齊國宰相;孔明居臥草廬,能作蜀漢軍師。楚王雖雄,難免烏江自刎;漢王雖弱,竟有萬里江山。李廣有射虎之威,到老無封;馮唐有乘龍之才,一生不遇。韓信未遇之時,無一日三餐,及至運行,腰懸三尺玉印,一旦時衰,死於陰人之手。

有先貧而後富,有老壯而少衰。滿腹文章,白髮竟然不中;才疏學淺,少年及第登科。深院宮娥,運退反為妓妾;風流妓女,時來配作夫人。青春美女,卻招愚蠢之夫;俊秀郎君,反配粗醜之婦。蛟龍未遇,潛水於魚鱉之間;君子失時,拱手於小人之下。衣服雖破,常存儀禮之容;面帶憂愁,每抱懷安之量。時遭不遇,只宜安貧守份;心若不欺,必然揚眉吐氣。初貧君子,天然骨骼生成;乍富小人,不脫貧寒肌體。

天不得時,日月無光;地不得時,草木不生;水不得時,風浪不平;人不得時,利運不通。注福注祿,命裏已安排定,富貴誰不欲?人若不依根基八字,豈能為卿為相?

吾昔寓居洛陽,朝求僧餐,暮宿破窯,思衣不可遮其體,思食不可濟其飢,上人憎,下人厭,人道我賤,非我不棄也。今居朝堂,官至極品,位置三公,身雖鞠躬於一人之下,而列職於千萬人之上,有撻百僚之杖,有斬鄙吝之劍,思衣而有羅錦千箱,思食而有珍饈百味,出則壯士執鞭,入則佳人捧觴,上人寵,下人擁。人道我貴,非我之能也,此乃時也!運也!命也!

嗟呼!人生在世,富貴不可盡用,貧賤不可自欺,聽由天地循環,周而復始焉。