Both the First and the Second Odes are two of the most celebrated pieces in Chinese history. The first ode was written in the seventh lunar month of ren shu (1082) and the second in the tenth month. The Second Ode narrates Su Shi (蘇軾)‘s moonlight excursion to the Red Cliff with two friends on a winter night, similar to one they had made three months ago. Su and his friends enjoyed a picnic at the base of the cliff, after which Su climbed to the top alone. He was saddened by the strange and wild windy sound and descended. The three friends floated with the current in a small boat and saw a single crane fly by. In Su’s dream after returning home, a Taoist priest appeared as the transformation of the crane. After he woke up, Su attempted to search for the Taoist priest but in vain.
Painting Anime: Imitating Zhao Bosu’s Latter Ode on Red Cliff (古畫動漫: 明文徵明仿趙伯驌後赤壁圖)
https://www.youAntube.com/watch?v=R4Z8gT_7-h4′
Imitating Zhao Bosu’s Latter Ode on Red Cliff (仿趙伯驌後赤壁圖) Wen Zhangming (文徵明) (1470-1559), National Palace Museum
This scroll is based on Su Shi’s Second Ode to the Red Cliffs, and is divided into eight sections, depicting Su Shi and his two friends returning to the Red Cliff with wine and fish. The fundamental colour of the entire scroll is light green and blue (青綠山水). The figures are depicted in simplistic lines, while the mountains and rocks are stacked closely and varied in shapes and forms, demonstrating the leisurely spirit (安閑雅興) of the literati in the face of astonishing sceneries. The year annotated on the work is the 27th year of Jia Jing (嘉靖) reign (1548). Wen was 79 years of age.
是歲十月之望，步自雪堂，將歸於臨皋。二客從予，過黃泥之坂。
On the sixteenth of the tenth month of the same year (1082), I walked from Xuetang (Snow Hall) to Lingao accompanied by two friends. We passed Huangniban (Yellow Muddy Slope).
霜露既降，木葉盡脫，人影在地，仰見明月。顧而樂之，行歌相答。
The dew and frost had begun to fall and the leaves on all the trees had all shed. Our shadows were cast on the ground and the moon was bright in the sky. Being filled with joy, we sang in response to one another as we walked along.
已而嘆曰︰「有客無酒，有酒無肴，月白風清，如此良夜何！」
After a while, I heaved a sign, saying, “I have friends but no wine. Even if I had wine, I would still lack food. As the moon is bright and the wind is refreshing, how should we spend the enjoyable night?”
客曰︰「今者薄暮，舉網得魚，巨口細鱗，狀如松江之鱸。顧安所得酒乎？」
A friend answered, “I have just netted a fish at dusk. It looks like the perch of Songjiang (Pine River) with a big mouth and fine scales. But where can I get wine?”
歸而謀諸婦。婦曰︰「我有斗酒，藏之久矣，以待子不時之需 。」
I returned home to discuss with my wife, and she said, “I have kept some wine for a long time, in case of your unexpected need.”
於是攜酒與魚，復遊於赤壁之下。
Then with wine and fish we return to the foot of the Red Cliff.
江流有聲，斷岸千尺。山高月小，水落石出。曾日月之幾何，而江山不可復識矣。
The flowing river gurgled between cliffs that rose to a height of a thousand feet. The moon looked small over the lofty mountains. As the river fell low, the rocks came into view. It was only a few months since I last visited and now the mountains and the river were hardly recognizable!
予乃攝衣而上，履巉巖，披蒙茸，踞虎豹，登虬龍；攀棲鶻之危巢，俯馮夷之幽宮。
Holding up my long robe, I went ashore, stepped on the rugged rocks, cut through the entwining and entangling bushes, squatted on rocks in the shape of tigers and leopards, climbed aged trees with gnarled branches like dragons. I got up to the lofty nest of the wild birds. I looked downwards and saw in the water the palace where Fung Yi, the water god dwelled.
蓋二客不能從焉。劃然長嘯，草木震動，山鳴谷應，風起水湧。
My two friends could hardly follow me. All of a sudden I gave a long howl. The grass and trees trembled. The sound reverberated in the valleys. A strong wind rose and waves surged up.
予亦悄然而悲，肅然而恐，凜乎其不可留也。
I felt so sad at heart and scared. I felt terrified and could stay no longer.
反而登舟，放乎中流，聽其所止而休焉。
We returned to the boat, letting it pursue its own course on the river, and rested wherever it took us.
時夜將半，四顧寂寥。適有孤鶴，橫江東來。翅如車輪，玄裳縞衣，戛然長鳴，掠予舟而西也。
Shortly before midnight and all around us was silence, just then a lone crane flew across the river from the east. Its stretched wings were like flying wheels. The upper part of its body looked as if dressed in white and the lower part, in black. With a long cackle cry it flitted over our boat and headed westward.
須臾客去，予亦就睡。夢一道士，羽衣蹁躚，過臨皋之下，揖予而言曰︰「赤壁之遊樂乎？」
Soon the friends departed and I went to sleep. In my dream I met a Taoist priest dressed in a robe made of birds’ feathers, glided below the Ling Kao Tower. He was passing my house and made a bow to me with hands clasped. He asked, “Did you have a pleasant trip at the Red Cliff?”
問其姓名，俛而不答。
I asked his name, but he bent his head and did not answer me.
「嗚呼! 噫嘻！我知之矣。疇昔之夜，飛鳴而過我者，非子也耶？」
“Ah, I know,” said I. “Wasn’t it you who flitted by me last night with a loud cry?”
道士顧笑，予亦驚寤。
The Taoist looked back at me and smiled. I was awakened from the dream.
開戶視之，不見其處。
I opened the door and looked around, I saw no trace of him.
I wish to make a trivial note.
I think Su Shi’s house in Wen Zhangming’s painting was too nice in relation to Su’s desolate financial state during his exile to Huang Zhou. In Su’s Han Shi Poems (寒食詩), he described that the spring river wanted to flood his house (春江欲入戶), his small house was like a fishing boat (小屋如漁舟), in his empty kitchen he boiled cold vegetables in a broken stove by burning damp reeds (空庖煑寒菜, 破灶燒濕葦). We can imagine how desperate Su was. In The Second Ode to the Red Cliffs, Su and his two friends had to rely on a fish caught earlier on that day. Su did not bring any other food from his home except the wine from his wife.
Other important paintings and calligraphy on Chibifu
(1) Chibitu (赤壁圖) by Wu Yuanzhi (武元直)(circa 1149-1189), Jin (金) Dynasty, National Palace Museum
This painting depicted Su Shi, his two friends and a boatman travelling the Red Cliff as narrated in the Second Ode to the Red Cliffs, not the First Ode. In the First Ode there were many guests on the boats. The river was less calm on the Second Ode. The flowing water gurgled between cliffs.
(2) Illustration to the Second Prose Poem on the Red Cliff by Qiao Zhong chang (喬仲常), The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City
Sung Dynasty, dates of birth and death of Qiao unknown, but Qiao was active late 11th to early 12th century.
Again, I think Su Shi’s house in Qiao’s painting was too nice in relation to Su’s desolate financial state.
(3) Chibitu by Qiu Ying (仇英) (1494-1552), 1584, The Liaoning Provincial Museum
(4) Chibitu (Red Cliff) by Qiu Ying (仇英) (1494-1552)
(5) Chibitu by Yang Shixian (楊士賢), Boston Museum of Fine Arts
Sung Dynasty, dates of birth and death of Yang unknown
(6) Writings of Houchibifu in cursive writing by Zhao Shen (趙眘) Emperor Xiaozong of Song (宋孝宗)(1127-1194) The Liaoning Provincial Museum
(7) Zhao Mengfu (趙孟頫)(1254-1322), National Palace Museum
ink on paper, 9 leaves, each 27.2 x 11.1 cm
(8) Wen Zhengming (文徵明)(1470-1559), written in regular script, The Palace Museum
Acknowledgements:
I would like to thank The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art for permitting me to use the image of Qiao Zhongchang, Illustration to the Second Prose Poem on the Red Cliff.
Bibliography:
陳耀南 (1991) 古文今讀: 初編 (p233 to p252) The Chinese University of Hong Kong
陳萬雄 (2002) 名家大手筆 經典新閱讀 赤壁賦 商務印書館(香港)有限公司 ISBN 962 07 4401 2
平山博 (1976) A Chronology of Wen Cheng-ming’s Painting 文徵明畫系年, Origin Publishing Co.
李天鳴, 林天人(2009) A Thousand, Thousand Churning Waves, The Legendary Red Cliff Heritage 捲起千堆雪赤壁文物特展, National Palace Museum, ISBN 978-957-562-555-9
Wang Xinyu (2012) Classics Appreciation of Chinese Visual Arts – Calligraphy, The Yellow River Publishing & Media Group Co. Ltd. ISBN 978-7-227-05114-5/J.348
Ouyang Z and Wen C.F. (2008) Chinese Calligraphy, Yale University Press, ISBN 978-0-300-12107-0
Wan-go-Weng (1978) Chinese Painting and Calligraphy A Pictorial Survey, 69 Fine Examples from the John M. Crawford, Jr Collection, Dover Publications, Inc., New York ISBN 0-486-23707-9
Zhang Hongxing (2013) Masterpieces of Chinese Painting, V & A Publishing, ISBN 978-1-851-77756-3
https://www.npm.gov.tw/exh98/redcliff/page_en_03.html
https://read01.com/4a7zd.html (歷代書畫家的赤壁情懷 ——蘇軾《赤壁賦》)
http://bulo.hujiang.com/menu/109781/item/843752/(English translation)
https://tieba.baidu.com/p/1275327889 (English transitions by 潘正英, 罗经国）
http://www.360doc.com/content/16/0824/22/30535600_585691755.shtml (楊士賢 赤壁圖卷, 美国波士顿博物馆)
http://jsl641124.blog.163.com/blog/static/17702514320116155524591/ (仇英 赤壁圖卷 辽宁省博物馆)
http://gcsh.shutuedu.com:89/index.php?r=site/view&id=35 (武元直 赤壁圖卷 國立故宮博物院)
http://gcsh.shutuedu.com:89/index.php?r=site/view&id=2093 (無款)
http://gcsh.shutuedu.com:89/index.php?r=site/view&id=2865 (仇英)
http://gcsh.shutuedu.com:89/index.php?r=site/view&id=2094 (楊士賢)
http://gcsh.shutuedu.com:89/index.php?r=site/view&id=1994 (趙昚)
http://gcsh.shutuedu.com:89/index.php?r=site/view&id=1993 (趙昚) cursive writing
http://gcsh.shutuedu.com:89/index.php?r=site/view&id=1992 (趙昚)
Patrick Siu Chinese Calligraphy & Landscape Painting 蕭燿漢談書畫 