Two Poems
Here, Xu Beihong transcribes two of his own poems for Lin Yutang's daughter, Taiyi:
Toward the edge of a lush forest are hundreds of dwellings.
Stretching my eyes across the chilly river, I hear evening crows cry.
How I love the brimming waters bounding eastward,
Which give up their purity for the sands of the Ganges.
The Rajmahal palace was built on the Ganges River.
I first visited it in the twenty-ninth year of the Republic [1940].
The clear sky is especially lovely tonight.
Leaning against the window, I feel only the chill of moonlight.
Dining by lamplight, life is so difficult,
Facing a vase of plum blossoms, I eat my dried biscuits.
This was a sketch of my life at the Central University at Shapingju [Shapingba, in Chongqing] in the twenty-seventh year of the Republic [1938]. It has been almost five years since then. Although life is hard, it has improved a little.
(trans. by Shi-yee Liu)
Xu Beihong modeled his calligraphy on the "singular yet correct" writing styles of the eras prior to the formalization of rules and methods
during the Tang dynasty (618–907). The component strokes of individual characters convey a sense of weightiness and precarious balance, while the central axis of characters occasionally tilts to one side, adding a certain gestural charm.
Toward the edge of a lush forest are hundreds of dwellings.
Stretching my eyes across the chilly river, I hear evening crows cry.
How I love the brimming waters bounding eastward,
Which give up their purity for the sands of the Ganges.
The Rajmahal palace was built on the Ganges River.
I first visited it in the twenty-ninth year of the Republic [1940].
The clear sky is especially lovely tonight.
Leaning against the window, I feel only the chill of moonlight.
Dining by lamplight, life is so difficult,
Facing a vase of plum blossoms, I eat my dried biscuits.
This was a sketch of my life at the Central University at Shapingju [Shapingba, in Chongqing] in the twenty-seventh year of the Republic [1938]. It has been almost five years since then. Although life is hard, it has improved a little.
(trans. by Shi-yee Liu)
Xu Beihong modeled his calligraphy on the "singular yet correct" writing styles of the eras prior to the formalization of rules and methods
during the Tang dynasty (618–907). The component strokes of individual characters convey a sense of weightiness and precarious balance, while the central axis of characters occasionally tilts to one side, adding a certain gestural charm.
Artwork Details
- 現代 徐悲鴻 行書二詩 冊頁
- Title: Two Poems
- Artist: Xu Beihong (Chinese, 1895–1953)
- Period: Republic period (1912–49)
- Date: dated 1942
- Culture: China
- Medium: Album leaf; ink on paper
- Dimensions: Image: 10 5/8 x 18 1/2 in. (27 x 47 cm)
Overall with rollers: 44 1/2 x 26 3/8 in. (113 x 67 cm) - Classification: Calligraphy
- Credit Line: The Lin Yutang Family Collection, Gift of Richard M. Lai, Jill Lai Miller, and Larry C. Lai, in memory of Taiyi Lin Lai, 2005
- Object Number: 2005.509.16
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
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Xu Beihong
dated 1935
Xu Beihong
dated 1938–48
Xu Beihong
dated 1942
Xu Beihong
dated 1941
Xu Beihong
August 12, 1941
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