1. "Ode to the Willow"?
He Zhizhang of the Tang Dynasty
The jasper is made up to a tree height, with thousands of green silk ribbons hanging down.
I don’t know who cuts out the thin leaves. The spring breeze in February is like scissors.
Translation:
The tall willow trees are covered with new green leaves, and the soft willow branches hang down, like thousands of gently fluttering green ribbons.
Whose skillful hands cut these thin young leaves? It turned out to be the warm spring breeze in February, like a pair of dexterous scissors.
2. "Two Poems on Returning to Hometown"
He Zhizhang of the Tang Dynasty
When a young boy left home and his elder brother returned home, his local pronunciation remained unchanged and his hair on his temples faded.
Children don’t recognize each other when they see each other, and they laugh and ask where the guest is from.
Translation:
I left my hometown when I was young and did not come back until I was old. Although my local accent has not changed, the hair on my temples has turned gray.
When the children in my hometown saw me, none of them recognized me. They smiled and asked me: Where did this guest come from?
3. "Inscribed on Yuan's Farewell Industry"
The owner did not know each other, so he sat in Linquan.
Don’t worry about selling wine, you will have money in your pocket.
Translation:
The owner of the villa and I have never met, but I came here occasionally to sit and admire the trees and stone springs.
Master, don’t worry about buying wine, your pockets are bulging, there is no shortage of money for drinking.
Extended information:
He Zhizhang’s calligraphy achievements
He Zhizhang was a famous calligrapher in the Tang Dynasty and was good at calligraphy. The Dou brothers criticized many famous calligraphers of the Tang Dynasty, but praised He Zhizhang for "competing with nature and not being created by man", which shows the reputation of He Zhizhang's calligraphy at that time.
He Zhizhang's works are regarded as treasures by calligraphy enthusiasts. Very few of He Zhizhang's ink writings have survived. Among his calligraphy works handed down from generation to generation are the stone carvings of "Long Rui Palace" on the south slope of Wanwei Mountain in the southeast of Shaoxing City and the cursive script of "The Classic of Filial Piety" that was spread to Japan. The whole volume of "The Classic of Filial Piety" is written in one go, with dragons and snakes flying, full of energy. The official meaning is slightly taken away, and the chapter and grass are integrated into it, in order to seek the antiquity. It has both the rigorous style of the Tang people and the flowing and flowing style of the Jin people, which has a huge influence on the calligraphy style of the late Tang and Song people.