Saturday,Apr 4 2009, 06:30:13 PMA note on Ching-Ming

Just got reminded that it is already the Tomb-Sweeping Day (Ching-Ming Festival). Not sure if my parents and relatives are busy in visiting the tombs and field trips 踏青. As heard from a friend, absence makes the heart grow fonder.

The most famous Chinese poem of the Ching-Ming Festival is probably the one by 杜牧 (quite like his works in general):

清明时节雨纷纷
路上行人欲断魂
借问酒家何处有
牧童遥指杏花村

Chinese is so flexible such that this poem can be divided in another way as below:

清明时节雨
纷纷路上行人
欲断魂
借问酒家何处
有牧童遥指
杏花村

Though the latter is not really a poem (because it does not fit any rules and forms (格律)), I like this kind of tricks. 杏花村 is now very well-known according to this poem. The original poem is indeed a typical 绝句. It begins with the desciption of the external world of the raining weather. Followed by the grey sky and ceaseless rain, the internal world of the author was full of sadness. The third line is just the turning point, and actually the author liked wine very much, while a new hope was introduced by the Shepherd in the last line with a stage of 柳暗花明. I just doubt the picture of the weather in the poem, because it is rarely raining in north China (assuming that 杏花村 is the one in Shanxi) in the spring, which is also supported by the saying 春雨贵如油, even in the Tang Dynasty which was more than 1000 years ago. Another possibility is that the author was in another 杏花村, say, in Jiangsu (actually he was in 江南 when he wrote this poem). It may be pretty rainy in south China around Ching-Ming (an evidence is the poem by 杜甫, "好雨知时节, 当春乃发生", which indicates it was the case in Sichuan). Anyway, the most rain could be Plum Rain Season, as portrayed by 贺铸's 青玉案: "若问闲情都几许? 一川烟草, 满城风絮, 梅子黄时雨".

Ching-Ming just follows 寒食节, another festival with longer history. An elaborate poem of that day was by 韩翃:

春城无处不飞花
寒食东风御柳斜
日暮汉宫传蜡烛
轻烟散入五侯家

Really dream of having some spare time to learn more Chinese!

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Friday,Jan 30 2009, 12:25:16 AMA new title

I was defined by a friend as 牛魔王 :) Since 孙悟空 is translated as Monkey King (美猴王), I would like to have a new title as Ox King.

Just for fun... Wish I can bring everybody the luck of ox ^_^

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Thursday,Jan 22 2009, 11:24:12 AMHappy Year of Ox!

It is the time to say goodbye to the Year of Mouse. Too many special moments in this year will stay in our memory for long time, disaster, crisis, war, as well as exciting days. Now they have been part of history. Just wish everybody have a better year of ox. Happy 牛 Year!

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