Translation of Huang Tingjian's "Inscription on the Postscript of Dongpo":
Original text: Lay people in Dongpo do not hesitate to write books, but they are not allowed to beg. Those who beg for books should be punished seriously or they may die. Not a single word.
Explanation: Su Shi is usually very generous with his handwriting, but he can't ask him for it. He would sternly reject anyone who asked him to write, and some people did not get a single word from him in the end.
Original text: Yuan You was in the imperial examination for the Ministry of Etiquette. Every time he came to see the paper on the case, he did not choose the finer or rougher, but read it all over.
Explanation: In the eighth year of Yuanfeng, Su Shi presided over the Jinshi examination in the Ministry of Rites. Every time he saw paper on the table, no matter what kind of paper it was, he would write on it non-stop.
Original text: I like wine by nature, but I can't get drunk. I lie down without saying goodbye. I snore like thunder. I wake up after a while, and write like wind and rain.
Interpretation: He likes to drink, but he is so drunk after only four or five drinks. The guests lie down and fall asleep before they say goodbye, snoring like thunder. After waking up for a while, I started writing as calmly as the wind and rain.
Original text: Although all jokes have meaning, how can he compete with the contemporary scholars of calligraphy and ink?
Interpretation: He joked and mocked the meaning and interest of the article. , what a god! How can today's good calligraphers compete with him?
Extended information:
In Huang Tingjian's view, the main characteristic of Su Shi's calligraphy is not simply the "calligraphy" itself, but the strong and strong husband's spirit in his chest. The spirit of awe and loyalty comes from the heart and is expressed through handwriting.
Therefore, Su Shi's calligraphy is not at all artificial or charming, but has an upright, upright and inviolable nature. When Su Shi was young, he liked the calligraphy of Jin people Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi, and later studied the calligraphy of Tang people Liu Gongquan.
In his middle and later years, he also liked the style of Tang Dynasty Yan Zhenqing very much. Therefore, from Su Shi's calligraphy, we can always see the influence of "Two Kings" and "Yan Ti".
In general, his calligraphy has the characteristics of Jin people's cool, delicate and smooth characters, as well as the vigorous, free, rich and rhythmic personality of Tang people.
Reference materials:
Baidu Encyclopedia - Huang Tingjian