1. When did the bright moon first appear? One raises a cup and asks the blue sky. One does not know, in the celestial palaces,
2. what year it is this evening. I wish to ride the wind and return there, yet fear the jade towers;
3. in a high dwelling one cannot bear the cold. Starting to dance with one's clear shadow
4. what else resembles the mortal world? Revolving around the red pavilion, lowering to a silk-work door, it shines upon the sleepless . It should not have resentment;
5. why is it always full at times of separation? People have sorrows, joys, parting and reunions , the moon is dark, bright, waxes or wanes;
6. these problems have have been this way since ancient times . Yet one hopes for longevity ; a thousand miles apart, together we see the moon's beauty
7. Prelude to Water Melody by Su Shi The poem was composed at the night of Mid-Autumn festival in 1076 while the author had been drinking all night and missing his brother Zi You.
8/9. Simplicity is the most beautiful thing in the world. By Zhuangzi
10/11. The spring in the fourth year of Qingli(reign title of Emperor, Renzong of the Northern Song Dynasty)， Deng Zijing was relegated to the post of Baling Prefecture's procurator. Next year, the government functioned well, the people were in their harmony lives and all neglected tasks were been undertaken. Then the Yueyang Building was renovated, increasing the original scale and carving on its wall with the poems and verses written by the Masters in the Tang Dynasty and contemporaries. I was entrusted with writing prose to record it.
I observed the wonderful scenery of Baling, which depends primarily on the great Tongting Lake. It looks as holding the remote mountains in mouth and swallowing the Yangtze River. It is so vast, mighty and boundless! Over the lake the sky appears bright at morning and overcast in the evening; the scenery is so spectacular and majestic as people's expected. Those are the grand sight around the Yueyang Building, which had made the descriptive complete records by the predecessors. However,the lake connects northward to the Wu Gorge and southward to the end of the Xiangjiang River; most of the demoted officers and dejected poets are gathering here. Could not their feelings caused by such scenery, be variable?
Whenever the bad weather, the excessive rain is falling thick and fast, even lasting for the whole month. The chilly winds are howling hard and the turbid waves are rushing even up to the sky. The sun and stars lose their brilliance and the shapes of the lofty mountains are hidden. And then the business travels stop and the masts and oars of the sailing boats are collapsed. When the time is to the evening dark, tigers are roaring and apes are whistling. At that time, if people ascend to the top of this building, all kind of feeling, such as being apart from the capital, yearning for native lands, worrying to be slandered, fearing to be jealous of, and seeing everywhere almost sadly, may be touched off. Deeply moving to the extreme, sadness is inevitable.
On the contrary, in the fine weather, the spring comes in bright sunshine and gentle breeze. The lake is without any terrifying rush and its color from top to bottom is as blue as the sky, as if the blue water is reaching far beyond the horizon. Sandpipers gather flying in the air and fishes play in the water. Fragrant grass and orchids growing up luxuriantly on the shore and sand-bank are blue and green. Sometimes the steam and smoke in the sky completely dissipated, and sometimes a bright moon hanging in the sky shines far away beyond almost a thousand li of distance. The floating beam of the Moon radiates a silver glittering upon the water. The quiet shadow of her mirrored in the water is similar to the sunken jasper under the water surface. The fishing songs respond with each other. How much joyful it is! At that tome , if people ascend to the top of this building, they may touch off the feelings of carefree and happy, and forget honor and disgrace, gain and lose. Facing the gentle breeze and drinking, full of joy is also inevitable.
Ah! I have looked for the minds of the ancient people with lofty ideas. They were perhaps not alike both states as above mentioned. Why? They don't joy for substance and don't feel sad for themselves. When situated at the high post in the imperial court, they worried about people and when located at the corners far away the capital, they worried about the Emperor. Therefore, advance would cause them worrying and retreat would also cause them worrying. In that case, if I asked, "When they joy?" They had to say: "Worry should be before, and joy must be after those of the people." Alas! If there were not such spirited people, whom would I go together with ?
12. The universe is unbiased and supervised by God. It will not reward people based on their sacrifice nor will it punish people based their mistakes. We should not exhaust our power nor should we exhaust our good fortune.
13. We should not exploit people in disadvantage. These three principles are what the universe is operating on. Therefore, if we do the good things, even though we may not be able to see the good results immediately, we are already further from the bad results.
14. If we do the bad things, even though we may not see the bad results immediately, we are already further from the good results. People who always do the good things are like the grass in the garden. You don’t see it growing but it grows everyday.
15. People who always do the bad things are like knife sharpening stone. You don’t see it wear out but it wears out everyday. We should not take advantage of other people. Even little good things are encourages as they benefit others and even little bad things should be avoided.
16. We should follow our fate and be happy with what’s happening in our lives.
17. Dragon and Horse
18. By the west Cliff, an old fisherman anchors for the night. At dawn, he dips from the clear stream and cooks o'er a bamboo fire.
19. When the sun rises, the mists thin, he is out of sight. A creak of the oars, a drowsy spell the green hills acquire.
20. Far far down, in mid-stream, he turns to look at his camp-site. Where aimless clouds stroll around. Into what do they inquire?
21. Quietude promotes learning, frugality cultivates virtue.
22. By Zhu Geliang
Original Created: 2016
Painting: Chinese Calligraphy Booklet
Series: Huang Mian Calligraphy
Size: 15.0H * 10.2W Inches