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“As in a Dream…” A Chinese poem written in water calligraphy in Westlake Park, Fuzhou

Water calligraphy in Westlake Park, Fuzhou, Fujian province - A Song dynasty poem: "As in a Dream"
Water calligraphy in Westlake Park, Fuzhou, Fujian province – A Song dynasty poem: “As in a Dream”

Water calligraphy, a poetic activity where artists use a large brush to write Chinese characters using water instead of ink can be found in many Chinese parks. NZCFS Tauranga Branch members Duncan and Teri France write about one particular poem they observed being written…

We (Teri and Duncan France) have very fond memories of Westlake Park in Fuzhou, which we encountered when teaching at Hwanan Women’s College, Fuzhou, in 2009.  Apart from the park being very beautiful, (the lake is modelled on Westlake in Hangzhou), it was interesting to witness the many activities of the local people.  

These included a group of ‘old’ folk’ singing and musicians accompanying them on the erhu as well as the Chinese flute.

But even more fascinating was to see a man writing water calligraphy on the pavements, knowing full well that it would disappear very soon (‘officially’ known as dishu or ground writing).  

One of our pupils supplied us with the translation later and explained that he was writing a poem by Lǐ Qīngzhào  李清照 (1084–c. 1151), premier Chinese lady poet of the Song Dynasty.

And here it is:

As in a Dream…如梦令 rú mèng lìng

Always I recall the river arbour at twilight,
So muddled with wine we didn’t know the way back,
Excitement over, heading home by evening boat,
A wrong turn taking us deep into lotus blossoms,
And struggling to push through, And struggling to push through,
We’d startle into flight a whole sandbar full of herons.

溪亭日暮  cháng tíng rìmù,

沉醉不 路。hénzuì zhī guī

晚回舟 xìng jìn wǎn huí zhōu

入藕花深 ǒu huā shēnchù.

渡, 渡  zhēng , zhēng ,

起一jīng tān ōu

Highlighted in bold, are the characters one can see in the photo.  Traditional characters are in blue [note that Chinese calligraphers generally use traditional characters).  

Below is the same poem printed in simplified and traditional characters, the equivalent in pinyin and a literal (character by character) translation: 

Simplified – Traditional – Pinyin – Literal translation (character by character) 

常记溪亭日暮 – 常 記 溪亭日暮 –  cháng tíng rìmù – always to remember rivulet pavilion sunset

沉醉不知归路 。- 沉醉不知 路。- chénzuì bùzhī guī  – become intoxicated unaware to return road.

兴尽晚回舟, – 興 晚回舟 – xìng jìn wǎn huí zhōu – interest exhausted return boat,

误入藕花深处。-  入藕花深 。-  ǒu huā shēnchù – mistake to enter lotus blossom

争渡, 争渡, –  渡, 渡 – zhēng , zhēng ,- to strive to pass through

惊起一滩鸥鹭。 起一 鷺。- jīng tān ōu  – startle a sandbar ‘common gull’ herons.

Even though we didn’t know this poem, we are sure that it was a pleasure to read before it disappeared! 

– Duncan & Teri France