Chapter 741: With One's Own Hands

With one's own hands

March 20: Using one's own hands to...

"When swallows arrive, the new community; after pear blossoms fall, Qingming. On the pond, a few specks of blue moss; under the leaves, a couple of oriole calls; the day long, floating catkins are light." Is this the scenery after Qingming? But, looking at the poet's line "day long floating catkins light", it rather resembles the scenery of late spring. Because after Qingming, willow trees have just sprouted a bit of tender buds; among those tender buds, there is still no trace of floating catkins to be seen; "day long" is a fact.

The ancients had long ago said the phrase "spring days linger"; as for "floating catkins are light", it is something the poet imagined.

Whenever I read this ci by the Song dynasty poet Yan Shu, I feel that Yan Shu is just stitching together lines, not writing with sincerity, but with an ulterior motive. And the meaning of that ulterior motive is "carving".

Whether poetry or prose, one must write with sincerity. The landscapes carved out thereby, although also beautiful; but that beauty is smeared with many traces of artificiality, the beauty feels a bit awkward, and never possesses the enduring natural beauty.

Yan Shu also has a ci called "Washing Silk Sand" that is much talked about by the world: "A new ci, a cup of wine; last year's weather, old pavilions and terraces. The sunset slants west—when will it return? Inevitably the flowers fall; as if once acquainted, the swallows return. In the small garden, the fragrant path, I pace alone."

This is a ci often spoken of; I think people praise it not because the ci is well written, but because the poet expresses a helpless sigh toward life and existence.

In this world, in every era, some advance bravely in song, while others wander in sighs. At this time, Yan Shu is precisely one who wanders in sighs. Those who wander in sighs naturally take this ci as their own moaning voice; whenever things go awry, they often hum it.

You see Yan Shu's appearance of wandering and disconsolate—sometimes holding a turbid wine cup, gazing at the distant sunset; sometimes wandering along the small path in the woods, looking at the fallen flowers before him.

How can someone indulged in sighing bravely face life?

Friend—— "From the hesitant tears, from the contemplative smile, from the sweet humiliation and pain, tell the secret of your heart……

Be a participant and laborer in life; do not be a spectator, a wanderer, or even a sigh-er; with your own hands, raise statues from stone, build houses, construct skyscrapers……