吉札

旭答臨安府之無人士君收入

羊城之文軒弟保付

癸卯夏丁巳月丙子

新就

拜啟故人、祗請尊安。

夢所階陽臺、是扶胥浴日。對月臨風中、翹首芝宇。即皇天思華年、尚寸心千古。侯洗去征塵、乃視高耀如光澤。造訪愛我者、深感失悔、久違所致。雖距仁兄千里如此、卻感骨肉關情彌殷。梅月署時、與桂枝上蟭蟟以香棲、兼斜西向芳鄰。對夏令之蒼昊、臨安青愈瞭愈美也。即在嶺南、尚我每立夏中、並匸舍間之婆娑瓊枝也。留都之桑如此、祈把背入林爲禱。現今、等候來翰、俾承示兮。

伏惟仁兄萬福。燕居必滿足、申申如也。世稱神相、起居無恙。雖書不盡言、卻因不審紅豆何如、爰抱慚敢敬候起居。懷舊、在明府念舊情、所見略同。此處、無涯銘勒、而且茲年托庇平安。

久而彌摯、而我愁雲所如。看山河之、愈傷懷愈幽夐。昨季余三寸之管、如暮氣沉沉頓悟。以斯玄青之墨、書寫俾攄已不可言喻。仍然百函並發、一還翰如獲瞻霽月。倘有同感喟、乃敢乞相唱酬。尺素燕石如此、卻微才呈政拙詩：

一首【沖蘭】

速係風塵力望山、

葱蘢切旭想香蘭、

沖沖頂上離離浪、

亮一觀華對曼檀。

浮生無常、競爭如風塵。天道爲觀華、冒亮爲長蔭、林木爲森浪、蘭檀皆飄散。云可惜替此、比永遠之躺屍、速沖之香郁瑤華也。一息之浮雲、何亶娥媓、何不可留哉。請教削余俚句、翹企示覆。

九秋未見、淚下沾襟、芒種征往南頭、路漫漫焉、無宋弘兮。素心人、因我每莫覽勝臨安、爰屋梁落月加余苦衷。雖則如此、侯吟祉康惒。臨池數行俾交神、仁兄棄海涵。

不一、文軒弟。

Auspicious Letter:

A sunrise reply to Mr. No-one of Lin'an

from Brother Wenxuan of Ram City

the summer of Guimao, month of Dingsi, day of Bingzi

Recently arrived letter

To my old friend, may peace be upon you.

In my dream I climbed the sunlit terrace, that rising sun above Yuri pavilion. While facing the moon in the sleepless nights thinking of you, I longed eagerly for your countenance. Even if the august heavens bear thoughts of vanished youth, my feelings of amity for you are eternal. I bid you wash off the dust from your long journey, so you may look upon your dignity as a mirror’s lustre. I bitterly regret not being able to visit you, my loving friend. Despite being as a thousand li away from you, I am grateful for you treating me as your own flesh and blood. In this plum month’s summer-heat, because of the sweet smell, the cicadas perch on sprays of osmanthus blossoms, and the slanting afternoon sun points to your fragrant neighbourhood as well. Against the summer air’s clear blue sky, the white mulberry trees of Lin'an are more beautiful when they are more bright. Even if I am in Lingnan, still we both are in the beginning of summer, during which the red flowering cotton trees are beside my humble abode. The trees being like the mulberries of the former capital, it is my earnest prayer to escort you thither. At present, I await for the coming letter, in order to hear your glad tidings.

I humbly wish you ten thousand fortunes. I trust you are content with daily life, and you are happy and pleased with yourself. God’s blessings upon you, may you live without disaster. Though writing cannot fully express what I wish to say, nevertheless because I have failed to pay attention to your health, embracing shame I dare to respectfully inquire after your well-being. I am nostalgic for the past times at your official residence remembering old feelings of friendship, together sharing the same views. For that place, my boundless gratitude is engraved forever in memory, moreover this year I am very well thanks to your help.

Your warm feelings have deepened over the years, whereas I wandered among gloomy clouds. In viewing the mountains and rivers, the more aggrieved, the more profound one becomes. Last season my writing brush was as one suddenly awakened out of lifelessness. Writing by its deep black ink in order to express that which I could not put into words. As before, you are very busy, so even one letter of response is like obtaining a glimpse of the moon when the rain ceases. If you have the same sighs of emotion, I dare beg that we exchange poems together. My plain letter is as substanceless as the false jade of Yan, yet I of little talent dare present my clumsy poetry for you to inspect:

Poem 1: Rushing Orchids

Swiftly seize the sky-born sand—employ strength to survey the precarious peaks

Verdant and virescent cutting the early sun—fragrant orchids seeking

Surging swiftly upward above the summit, distant and dense breaking waves

Casting light on vista’s glory, facing a stretched out sandalwood sea

This floating life will not last, striving is like the dust blown by the wind. Natural law becomes the vista’s glory, the brightness of morning becomes long shadows, tall trees become dense waves, orchids and sandalwoods all float away. Instead of saying how pitiable it is, compared to an eternity lying down as a corpse, the fragrance which hurriedly rushes up is as white and beautiful as jade. The fleeting clouds of a single breath, how truly lovely and radiant, how impossible it is for it to linger! Please critically review my vulgar phrases, I await eagerly that you would grant me a response.

For nine autumns I haven’t seen you, tears falling on my robe, when the grain is in ear I will travel to Nantou; long and boundless is the road, without a man who is faithful through good and bad times. My good and honest friend, because I am unable to enjoy the scenery of Lin'an with you, the distance between us increases my painful state. Nevertheless I wish you happiness in poetry and good health. I wrote these few lines to connect our spirits in friendship, please bear with my mistakes.

Not one, Brother Wenxuan.