Translated By Andrew Yang
Ouyang Xiu (1007-1072), an eminent scholar of the Song dynasty (960-1279) and a political leader, resisted Buddhism when he was young and yet in middle age, he became a Buddhist by accepting the Three Treasures, i.e., Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. As a member of the Imperial Academy, he was an accomplished historian and writer, and wrote poetry that was both subtle and refreshingly natural. In his older years, he was a devout Buddhist and styled himself One Layman with Six Pleasures (see Note 1), and that is how his poetry is often known by.
Poems One Layman with Six Pleasures wrote are widely known for succinctly expressing sentiments about the transient nature of human life. Here are a few examples,
This year’s flowers are more red than last year’s. Too bad next year’s will be even better. Know I will be keeping the company of whose? (“To the Tune of Lang Tao Sha”)
In life are going to be incorrigible lovers. This melancholy has nothing to do with wind or moon. (“To the Tune of Yulou Chun”)
Being aware of a glass of wine on a remote lake, reminds one of someone ten thousand miles apart. (“A Spring Day on the West Lake”)
How deep the deep deep courtyard goes? Willows pile up in mist, beyond layers of curtains countless… Flowers, when queried, say nothing to my tear-filled eyes. Past swings and yonder fly rouge in dashes. (“To the Tune of Die Lian Hua”)
I like the most his “To the Tune of Sheng Cha Zi”,
Last year under the first full moon, lanterns at the flower fair shone like daylight.
As the moon went atop the willow tree, we made it in evening twilight.
This year the night of the first full moon, the moon and lanterns are again festive.
Yet not seeing last year’s living soul, my tears wet a spring shirt sleeve.
As an ancient Chinese tradition, on the night of the first full moon in the new year, all families made their own lanterns to put on a show together with flowers in a local communal fete. The poet says that last year’s gala evening was a scene of splendor, rendering it such a happy occasion. The lovers made it together when the moon appeared just above the willow tree. They would have then strolled about checking things out together. A rendezvous between lovers under such a circumstance would have indeed been memorable.
However, as another poet writes, humans have joy and sorrow in saying hello and good-bye, like the moon that never stays full or bright. And now this year’s first full moon is again here. Again, the moon is hanging over the same willow, and again, flowers and lanterns are just as resplendent. Only, this time, his companion, whom the poet accompanied last year sharing a good time with, has not made it, leaving him lost and forlorn. That is why his sleeve is soaked with teardrops.
A Buddhist saying goes, “All impulses are impermanent and all dharmas are without the self.” In a temporal sense, all things are fleeting and under constant change and everything is in the midst of impermanence. Sentient beings who do not get it try to find permanency within impermanence, but instead they end up suffering from emotions of sorrow and despondency. In a spatial sense, all dharmas are without the self, implying that nothing exists forever, as everything happens when causes and conditions harmonize and ceases when they disband.
Another poem by Ouyang Xiu, One Layman with Six Pleasures, titled “Spring Outing at Fengle Pavilion”, also laments the passing of time,
Crimsoned trees and verdant hills with the sun setting.
Grass in the long, open fields a sea of aquamarine.
In spite of the spring season about to be ending,
Stepping on fallen petals are guests to and from the Pavilion.
In front of Fengle Pavilion visitors walk to and fro nonstop over the shed blooms, not caring if spring will soon be no more. Watching it leaves the poet sighing over their wanton trampling of his much cherished spring vibes.
Notes
Note 1 In his autobiography The Life of One Layman with Six Pleasures, Ouyang Xiu explains the six pleasures. “A guest asked, ‘One Layman with Six Pleasures, how do you mean?’ The Layman replied, ‘My family has a library of ten thousand volumes of books, one thousand of them being epigraphic writings on long-lost inscriptions of ancient bronze ware and stone tablets. Besides, we own one zither, one game of go set, and one perennially filled wine jar.’ Pressed the guest, ‘That would be five pleasures. Right?’ Thus, said the Layman, ‘And take myself, an old man, ageing among these five things. Wouldn’t that be six pleasures for one man?!’”
