Mo Mei is a seven-character quatrain written by Wang Mian, a poet in Yuan Dynasty. The original text is:
The first tree in my Xiyan Lake is light ink.
Don't praise the good color, as long as it is clear and full of dried Kun.
Translation:
A plum blossom growing in Xiyan Lake seems to be a trace of no bright color left after washing the pen with light ink.
It doesn't need others to praise its color, but only cares about filling the faint fragrance between heaven and earth.
Extended data
Creative background:
This poem was written in about nine to ten years from Yuan Shundi to Zheng Zheng (1349- 1350). Wang Mian returned to Shaoxing after a long-distance roaming, and bought land to build a house in Jiulishan, Huiji. He was named Meihua House and was named Meihua House Owner. This poem was written in the plum blossom house. At this time, on the eve of the peasant uprising at the end of Yuan Dynasty, facing the insoluble contradictions in real life, the author wrote this poem emotionally.
About the author:
Wang Mian (1287-1359), a native of Qiaofeng, Shaoxing City, Zhejiang Province, was a famous painter, poet and seal engraver in Yuan Dynasty. He was born in poverty, herded cattle for others in his childhood, and became a success by self-study.
Wang Mian is aloof and disdainful of powerful people. His poems sympathize with people's sufferings, condemn powerful people, despise fame and fortune, and describe pastoral seclusion. I love plum blossoms all my life, planting plum blossoms and Yongmei, and attacking and painting plum blossoms. The painted plum blossoms are dense, full of business, vigorous and powerful, which has a great influence on future generations.
Baidu Encyclopedia-Momei