MENG HAO Ren's Spring Morning POEM

 #menhaoren #chinese poetry #spring morning

(If you are not seeing chinese characters you need to check why your browser and computers font and language settings are not reading the unicode I entered!)

MENG HAO RAN POEM

SPRING MORNING

Mèng Hào Rán - Chún Xiaŏ

Chún Mián Bù Jué Xiaŏ

春 眠 不 覺 暁

spring sleep not sense dawn

Chù chù Wén Tí Niaŏ

處 處 聞 啼 鳥

everywhere hear crying bird

Yè Laì Fēng Yŭ Shēng

夜 來 風 雨 聲

night came wind rain sound

Huā Luò Zhī Duō Shaŏ

花 落 知 多 少

flower fall know how many ?

This is not a full translation or notes 

( you can see a different but similar set notes over on my metousia patreon  and also get a pdf for your one usage)

I keep thinking of something different to write everytime I review my notes )

because I want you to think about the main meanings not compare this to the many other translation and consider what is possibly the most import word in the poem - the verb TI in the second line.

The birds are not singing or flying they are CRYING 

The next line wind rain sound invokes a storm 

which tells us why the birds are crying and maybe why the poet was slow to awake and rise 

and he finishes with a question to himself and us

how many flowers fell last night?

not how pretty spring plum is but how many flowers fall and unspoken what else was damaged if the birds are so upset he describes them as crying ?! 

That simple question makes this a work of genius 

You are welcome to suggest or recommend different translations !

Hydrangeas in Lacquer

HYDRANGEAS IN LACQUER

#hydrangeas #lacquer #japaneselacquer 

I was looking for images of hydrangeas that was painted or printed and found this gorgeous Japanese box to share.

 

HYDRANGEAS PAINTING

HYDRANGEAS 

are a beloved summer flower in Japan 

#hydrangeas #summer #rimpa #painting 

This is probably a student of Korin? 

 

SUMMER RAIN - HIROSHIGE

 

SUMMER RAIN AT SUHARA BY HIROSHIGE 

#suhara #hiroshige #japaneseprint #rain

There are many reasons to admire and enjoy Hiroshige's works. 

Firstly in this work the skilful use of ink gradients in the coloring. Tones of blue and gray mingling or spreading in parallel bands to create and depth.

Secondly his ability to suggest a vast background even with very little detail. The thin dark ban across the top suggests the rainstorm  is going to be a heavy prolonged one. The dark tones of the trees reinforce this.

Thirdly we have the human details the travellers running for shelter on a tiny entry way and the rider and his horse plodding along bent over like the the person walking behind them hindered by the very weight of the rain.

Hiroshige has taken a ordinary summer moment and transformed it to its essentials to a few lines and colors and made yet another masterpiece.