Zheng Xie's poems about bamboo include "Bamboo Stone", "Bamboo" and so on.
1. "Bamboo and Stone"
Original text: Firmly insist on not letting go of the green mountains, the roots are still in the broken rocks. It has endured thousands of blows but is still strong, regardless of the winds from east to west, north and south.
Translation: Closely attached to the green mountains and never let go, the bamboo roots penetrate deeply into the crevices of the rocks. After countless hardships, it remains so tenacious, no matter it is east wind, west wind or north and south wind.
Appreciation: This poem uses objects to describe people. By chanting the strong bamboo rooted in the broken rock, the poet implicitly expresses his noble sentiments that he will never follow the crowd. The language of the whole poem is popular and innovative, the virtual and the real are combined, the scenes are intertwined, and it is full of rationality and interest.
2. "Bamboo"
Original text: Section after section, thousands of branches holding thousands of leaves. Since I don’t bloom, I don’t want to attract bees and butterflies.
Translation: The stems of bamboo are connected one to another, and the thousands of branches and leaves of bamboo are clustered together. I don't go to the flowers myself, lest I disturb the bees and butterflies.
Appreciation: Bamboo is described as having a noble integrity and does not compete with the flowers for beauty and fragrance. It is also a metaphor for the author's own clean, self-contained, detached and close-to-nature way of life.
Introduction to Zheng Xie
Zheng Banqiao is good at painting orchids, bamboos, stones, pine, chrysanthemums, etc., and he has made the most outstanding achievements in painting orchids and bamboos for more than 50 years. The method was borrowed from Xu Wei, Shi Tao, and the Eight Great Masters, and became its own method, with a sparse appearance and a strong style. Gong calligraphy uses Han Bafen mixed with regular cursive, claiming to be Liufeng calligraphy, and integrates calligraphy brushes into paintings. He advocates inheriting the tradition, learning seven things and discarding three, not adhering to ancient methods, and attaches great importance to the originality of art and the diversity of styles.
The so-called saying, "Before painting, do not leave a frame, and after painting, do not leave a frame," still has reference significance for today. The poems are sincere and interesting, which are loved by the people and can also cure seals. His poems, calligraphy and paintings are known as three masterpieces in the world. He is a relatively representative literati painter in the Qing Dynasty. His representative works include "Picture of Xiu Bamboo and New Huang", "Picture of Clear Light Remaining in Light", "Picture of Orchid and Bamboo Fragrance", "Gangu Juquan" "Picture", "Picture of Orchid and Thorns", etc., and author of "Collection of Zheng Banqiao".
Reference for the above content: Baidu Encyclopedia—Zheng Xie