It is a poem that expresses ambitions.
Mo Mei
Author: Wang Mian
The trees beside the inkstone washing pond in my house have blooming flowers with faint ink marks.
Don’t let anyone praise you for the good color, just leave the pure energy filling the universe.
Translation:
In my painting, the plum trees beside the inkstone washing pond and the blooming flowers are all dyed with light ink. It does not need others to praise the beautiful color, it only needs to leave a fragrance that fills the universe.
Notes on difficult points: ① Mo Mei: plum blossoms in ink painting. ②Inkstone washing pool: a pool for washing pens and inkstones after writing and drawing. Wang Xizhi has a legend that "when he came to the pond to study calligraphy, the water in the pond turned black." This allusion is used here. The poet has the same surname as Wang Xizhi, a calligrapher of the Jin Dynasty, so he said "my family".
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 pool 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.