鏃╂�� 鈥� The Plum Blossoms   in the Early Spring

鏃╂��鈥攝菐o m茅i

鍞�鈥攖谩n伞 (618-907)
寮犺皳鈥攝h膩n伞 w猫i

涓�鏍戝瘨姊呯櫧鐜夋潯鈥攜墨 sh霉 h谩n m茅i b谩i y霉 ti谩o,
杩ヤ复鏉戣矾鍌嶆邯妗�鈥攋i菕n伞 l铆n c奴n l霉 b脿n伞 x墨 qi谩o銆�
涓嶇煡杩戞按鑺卞厛鍙�鈥攂霉 zh墨 j矛n shu菒 hu膩 xi膩n f膩锛�
鐤戞槸缁忓啲闆�鏈�娑�鈥攜铆 sh矛 j墨n伞 d艒n伞 xu臎 w猫i xi膩o銆�

闆�鏈�娑�鈥攛u臎 w猫i xi膩o銆�
|#|Zao Mei鈥擳he Plum Blossoms in the Early Spring

by Zhang Wei (time of birth and death   unknown)
Tang Dynasty (618-907)

Flowers cover a plum blossom tree like a white jade in the cold,far away from the village road near the bridge over the stream.
I didn't know the flowers blossom earlier by the water.
I thought that the winter snow had not melted yet.

Had not melted.
|#|Zao Mei was written by the poet Zhang Wei in Tang Dynasty (618-907) .

Zhang Wei 锛堝紶璋� zh膩n伞 w猫i锛� was from Henei, today's Biyang county, Henan Province.He earned his Jin Shi title (the successful candidate of the highest imperial examinations) in 743. He had served in the military for more than 10 years before being appointed to official positions, like Shang   Shu Lang(灏�涔�閮�), Ci Shi锛堝埡鍙�锛� (provincial or prefectural governor) of Tan Zhou and then   Li Bu Shi Lan伞锛堢ぜ閮�渚嶉優锛�.

The characteristics of his poems are refined wording, depth of meaning and clear poetic style. Zao Mei鈥擳he Plum Blossoms in the Early Spring is one of his representative works and has been included in almost all Chinese classical poetry collections.

|#|
In Chinese culture, the Plum Blossom symbolizes:
Gu Qi(楠�姘�)鈥攕trength of character, moral integrity and backbone;
Gan伞 Yi锛堝垰姣咃級鈥攆ortitude, indefatigability, perseverance and tenacity;
Xing Fu and Ji Xiang(骞哥��鍚夌ゥ)鈥攂less, luck and propitiousness.

According to Confucianism, the plum blossom is the symbol of a gentleman who has nobility, personal integrity, fortitude and the heroic quality that do not retreat from adversity. In modern China, Mr. Mao Zedong's lyric Yong Mei 鈥擮de to the Plum Blossom   endowed the plum blossom with some of the spirit of the times,such as clean breath, steadfastness in the cold season, faithfulness, constancy, firmness, independence and self-reliance.Mr.Mao emphasized that these qualities were in fact the root of the Chinese national verve.

The plum blossom is also the symbol of happiness and luck.
The ancient Chinese believed that plum had four virtues:鈥�鍒�鐢�涓�鍏�锛�寮�鑺�濡�浜�锛�缁�瀛�涓�鍒�锛�鎴�鐔�涓�璐炪�傦紙Ch奴 sh膿n伞 w茅i yu谩n, ka墨 hu膩 r煤 h膿n伞, ji茅 z菒 w茅i l矛,ch膿n伞 sh煤 we铆 zh膿n銆�)鈥濃�擶hen it buds, it means everything will be reborn and a new year will start; when it blossoms, it means there will be prosperity and things will go smoothly; when it seeds, it means that there will be benefit everywhere; when it matures, it means constancy (another version:satisfaction for the whole of one's life).

The four words鈥�鍏�锛屼酣锛�鍒�锛岃礊(yu谩n, h膿ng ,l矛 and zh膿n)鈥濃�攂eginning, smoothness, benefit and constancy/satisfaction鈥攁re the general symbols of   Yi Jing鈥擳he Book of Changes.
In the Song Dynasty (960-1279), it was thought that these four words expressed four phases of things from their beginnings through their development to maturity ,which is called 鈥滆礊涓�璧�鍏�(zh膿n xi脿 q菒 yu谩n)鈥�.This phrase then became one of the terms of ancient Chinese philosophy to express the process by which things go from their beginnings to maturity.

There is another idiom in folk tradition鈥�姊�寮�浜�绂忥紙m茅i k膩i w菙 f煤锛夆��, meaning the plum blossom has five petals which respectively symbolize delight,happiness,longevity,smoothness and peace.

In folk art, you can often see a picture of a pied magpie on a plum blossom which means:
鈥滃枩鎶�鏃�鏄�锛坸菒 b脿o z菐o ch奴n 锛夆�濃�攖he pied magpie is reporting that the spring has come early;
鈥滃枩鎶�鏄�鍏�锛坺菒 b脿o ch奴n gu膩ng锛夆�濃�攖he pied magpie is reporting that the spring has come;
鈥滃枩涓�鐪�姊�锛坺菒 sh脿ng m茅i sh膩o锛夆�濃�攈appiness appears on the eyebrows,the phrase using the same pronunciation of x菒 qu猫 (pied magpie)and x菒 sh矛 (something happy, delightful and lucky), and m茅i (plum blossom) and m茅i (eyebrows) to express the meaning. |#|鏃╂�� z菐o m茅i鈥擳he plum blossoms in the early spring.
Since the ancient time, the plum blossom has been praised by numerous poets in China; some praised its features, some praised its verve,and this poem emphasizes the word 鈥�鏃�(z菐o)鈥濃�攅arly .

In early spring, before the snow has completely melted, no other flowers have blossomed and there is only the plum blossom   bringing vitality and life to the world.
The first line:涓�鏍戝瘨姊呯櫧鐜夋潯y墨 sh霉 h谩n m茅i b谩i y霉 ti谩o鈥擣lowers cover a plum blossom tree like a white jade in the cold.

This line introduces the time that the plum tree blossoms and the features of it: the whole of the tree is covered with thick and numerous flowers and looks like white jade in the early spring. It blossoms early锛坺菐锝� 锛�鏃�锛�, so the flowers have to grow in the cold锛� h谩n锛�瀵� 锛塻eason. By emphasizing the visible and charming features of the plum blossom, this line hints at the characteristics of the plum blossom 鈥攕trong mind,bravery, having the ability to survive in adversity.

The second line:杩ヤ复鏉戣矾鍌嶆邯妗�锝婏綁菕锝幧� l铆n c奴n l霉 b脿ng x墨 qi谩o鈥擨t was far away from the village road and near the bridge over the stream.

This line describes the environment where the plum grows. Although a tree has no way of choosing where it grows, this line endows the early plum blossom with human thoughts and ideas, as if the plum tree intentionally grows and blossoms far away from the village road and lives in a remote place, near the water and by the stream.Just like some excellent people,it does not pursue earthliness and does not play to the crowd.

Following the first line, the second line creates a wider artistic conception for the poem. It is a link between the previous and following lines.

The third line: 涓嶇煡杩戞按鑺卞厛鍙� b霉 zh墨 j矛n shu菒 hu膩 xi膩n f膩鈥擨 did not know the flowers blossom earlier by the water.

This line tells us why this particular plum (blossom) tree blossoms earlier.It is because it is growing by the water.
The last line:鐤戞槸缁忓啲闆�鏈�娑�y铆 sh矛 锝娔�锝幧� d艒n伞 xu臎 w猫i xi膩o鈥擨 thought it was the winter snow that had not melted yet.

The last line recalls the first line.Because it blossoms 鈥�鏃�鈥濃�攅arly,when the snow has not completely melted, it gives the poet an illusion and he mistakes the white plum blossoms for white snow that has not yet melted in the early spring.

The words 鈥�涓�鐭�锛坆霉 zh墨锛夆�濃�攄on't know鈥攁nd鈥�鐤�锛坹铆锛夆�濃�攕uspect,describe how the poet felt hazy and in a trance when he saw the plum (blossom) tree from far away, and then when he went nearer and looked at it carefully, he found it was just a tree of plum blossoms that, near the water, had blossomed early. Now the doubt has melted and the word 鈥渆arly鈥� in the title has been echoed.

The 鈥渇lowers as if snow鈥� in the last line echoes the 鈥減lum blossom as white jade鈥� in the first line;   it indirectly carries on the connotation of the poem and the theme becomes deeper.

After inheriting and extending the writing of the first two lines, the last two lines express the poet's feelings of surprise.

There are thousands of poems that praise the plum blossom in Chinese poetry. Zhang Wei's Zao Mei   stands there peacefully and gracefully, just like a girl in a white dress who does not wear makeup. When we see it from far away, it hides among the numerous beauties, and when we look at it from nearby, we can feel how light, elegant, clean and wonderful it is, with a leisurely and artistic conception. How did the poet achieve this?

He uses some simple, easy, refined and frank words by capturing something special about the reality of life and expresses the main meaning of the poem and the poet's love for the plum blossom. For example:
the color of the early plum blossom: white as jade,clean and noble;
the place it grows: far away from the village road and near the bridge over the stream鈥攏ot pursuing earthliness;
the season it blossoms: in the early spring鈥攊t can stand the cold   weather and live in harsh conditions;
its features: beautiful, pure, clean and noble.

The poet It also used an illusion that binds the plum blossom and snow together鈥攆rom the feeling of plum blossom like white jade and taking it as the winter snow, to knowing it was just the clean white plum blossom鈥攖o describe the whole process by which he had seen, thought and explored. We can not only enjoy a series of vivid views and appreciate the charming plum blossom, but also feel the never-failing meanings in the poem.
|#|Apart from all of the good characters of the plum blossom already mentioned, what I admire most are the qualities that Mr. Mao Zedong has pointed out in his famous lyric:

Never vying with the spring for its beauty,
Just being the messenger of the spring.

When the mountain flowers are in full bloom,
She will smile among the flowers.   

Plum flower can blossom in the ice and snow in early spring; however, instead of being proud of itself, it keeps a modest and unobtrusive attitude, not envying anyone else which is   more beautiful than it, just keeping smiling among all sorts of flowers when they are in full bloom.Just like those great pioneers who have created something great, for example, those who have undertaken an enterprise or a country and have had great reputations.Instead of being proud of themselves, they still work with other people with a peaceful heart the same as those ordinary people.

Do you agree with me?

With much respect to the plum blossoms, I translated this poem and created a piece of music for them in 2006; then I created a painting for them in 2012, and painted two paintings to match this poem and the music as my assignment at Chinese National Academy of Arts in 2012.   

I do hope that my effort will be of some help for you to learn Chinese language and culture.

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please write to shirley@ebridge.cn.