Mo Mei
Author: Wang Mian
The tree at the head of the pond where I wash inkstones has flowers blooming with faint ink marks.
Don’t let anyone praise you for the good color, just leave the pure energy filling the universe.
Washing Inkstone Pool It is said that Wang Xizhi, a great calligrapher of the Jin Dynasty, came to the pool to study calligraphy and frequently washed his brushes and inkstones, and the water in the pool turned dark. There are ruins of inkstone washing pools at the foot of Kuaiji Mountain in Zhejiang and Linchuan in Jiangxi. Legend has it that they were both places where Wang Xizhi washed inkstones. The author is a famous painter who uses light ink to paint plum blossoms elegantly. Because he has the same surname as Wang Xizhi, he calls it "my family", which is a metaphor for his skill.
Notes:
[Ink Plum] Plum blossoms painted with ink alone. [Chitou] Poolside. [Inkstone washing pond (y4n)] A pond for washing brushes and inkstones. [Light ink mark] A light black mark, referring to the color of the flower. [Qingqi] A refreshing smell. [Qian (qi2n) Kun (k&n)] refers to heaven and earth.
Poetic:
This painting is about a tree next to the inkstone washing pond in my house. Each plum blossom shows a faint black color, without bright colors. I don't need others to praise how beautiful its color is, as long as it leaves a light fragrance between heaven and earth.
One "light" and one "full" show personality
——Appreciation of "Mo Mei"
Plum blossoms bloom in the cold season when thousands of flowers wither. She is proud of ice and snow. She has the fairy appearance of clear skin and jade bones, and she can announce spring before the flowers. The more cold the weather is, the more fragrant her fragrance will be. Therefore, ancient people often regarded her as a symbol of strong character and noble integrity. The plum blossoms in this lesson refer to plum blossoms painted only with ink and no color. They look very elegant and generous. The author of this poem, Wang Mian, was born in the late Yuan Dynasty and early Ming Dynasty and is known as the "Master of Plum Painting". This is a poem in which the author himself praises the plum blossoms he painted. The plum blossoms described in the poem are strong, fragrant and outstanding.
When the ancients wrote poems, they paid attention to word refinement. The plum blossoms in the poem (also in the painting) grow beside the pond where the author washes his brushes and inkstones every day, and the blooming plum blossoms all show faint traces of ink. The first and second sentences use line drawing to describe the shape of plum blossoms. The word "light" not only expresses the technique of painting plum blossoms, but also depicts the plum blossoms' simple and elegant character, which stands proudly in the severe cold. It is refreshing.
Looking at the last sentence again, why does the poet especially like to paint plum blossoms with light ink without color? It turned out that he didn't care about those vulgar people praising the beautiful color of the plum blossoms. He just wanted to keep the fresh fragrance filling the world between heaven and earth. The word "full" not only expresses the fullness and excitement of the plum fragrance vividly, but also makes the poet's personality charm shine and shine extraordinarily! This kind of unconventional and proud integrity is exactly what Wang Mian is as a poet. This method of expression that does not pursue the superficial and beautiful appearance but loves the spirit of plum blossoms is the ingenuity of Wang Mian as a painter.
"The painting of plum blossoms must have the spirit and bones of plum blossoms, and people are as clear as plum blossoms." This is how people praised Wang Mian. Wang Mian in reality is just like the plum blossoms in his works, unyielding and self-admiring. It is said that Wang Mian was very good at painting. The local magistrate and a powerful rich man admired his name, and wanted to see him several times but were rejected. Finally, when the magistrate went to the countryside to see him in person, he hid quickly after hearing the news and asked the magistrate again. The official was rejected. Therefore, the poem "Dark Plum Blossoms" not only reflects the style of the plum blossoms he painted, but also reflects the author's noble taste and indifference to fame and fortune. It clearly shows his steadfastness and purity of ethics in not flattering the world.
In this poem, one "light" and one "full" fully show the personality. On the one hand, the plump plum blossoms and the poet's proud image appear vividly on the paper; on the other hand, it makes people feel the fragrance of calligraphy and ink. The fragrance of plum blossoms seems to come to your face! In this way, "poetry style", "painting style" and personality are cleverly integrated together!