Matching the Rhymes of Director of the Palace Library Jeong, Who Painted Four Stalks of Bamboo in Ink and Also Sent a Reply to the Poem Above次韻丁秘監寫墨竹四榦。兼和前詩來贈。
1Preface
昨冒恥。以硬牋乞墨竹。公笑不受。特以金粉紙掃四榦。兼和前詩。親訪見貺。不勝榮荷。復次韻四首奉寄。
Yesterday, swallowing my shame, I asked with stiff paper for a bamboo painted in ink; the gentleman laughed and would not take the paper, and instead painted four stalks for me on gold-dusted paper. He also replied to the poem above and came to see me in person, so that I cannot contain my sense of honour and gratitude. Matching his rhymes again, I have made four poems and send them up to him.
Interlinear notes 1
幷序
The preface is included as well.
2First Poem
淡黃金紙薄雲輕。掃出森然碧玉莖。何必鮫人絹似雪。從今亦貴楮先生。
The pale yellow gold-flecked paper is light as a thin cloud, and on it he struck out dense stalks of green jade. Why must it be the snow-white silk of the shark-folk (鮫人)? From now on even Master Mulberry Paper (楮先生) will be held precious.
3Second Poem
千金墨畫已非輕。更貺淸詩響六莖。願以明公心竹出。移之賢祖腹松生。
The ink painting, worth a thousand gold pieces, is already no light thing, and you give me a clear poem besides, like the ringing of "Yukgyeong" (六莖). I would ask that you bring bamboo forth from your illustrious heart and move it to the place where pines grew in your worthy ancestor's belly.
4Third Poem
一莖露重一風輕。老硬尤憐飽雪莖。還有新筠已離立。似嫌人導是旁生。
On one stalk the dew lies heavy, on one the wind is light, and of the old and sturdy, the stalk that has had its fill of snow is lovelier still. There is a new bamboo too, already standing apart, as though it disliked being called by people a shoot sprung from the side.
Interlinear notes 1
露竹風竹老竹新竹。
A dew-struck bamboo, a wind-struck bamboo, an old bamboo, and a new bamboo.
5Fourth Poem
此君爭肯入毫輕。必待通身作竹莖。竹是君身君是竹。歲寒一節共平生。
How should this bamboo be willing to enter a brush tip lightly? It waits until one's whole body has become a bamboo stalk. The bamboo is your very body and you are the bamboo itself, and you share lifelong the single joint of integrity of the cold season.