Mo Mei
Dynasty: Yuan Dynasty
Author: Wang Mian
Original text:
My Family Wash The trees at the head of the inkstone are all blooming with faint ink marks.
Don’t let others praise you for your beautiful color, just flow clear energy and fill the universe.
Translation
There is a plum tree beside the inkstone washing pond in my house, and the blooming plum blossoms show faint traces of ink.
You don’t need others to praise its beautiful color, you just need the fragrance of plum blossoms to permeate the world.
On the surface, this poem praises the beauty of plum blossoms, but in fact it describes the author's own broad-minded temperament and steadfast and pure sentiments that do not flatter the world. It expresses the author's dissatisfaction with popular customs and also reflects the author's noble sentiments of chastity and self-preservation.