The Ten Canvases

Chapter 20

Chapter 20

After bidding farewell to his fellow apprentices, Wen Yuan headed south. He had studied poetry for a long time and always admired the scenery of Jiangnan. Sailing down the river, he travelled all the way south while enjoying the scenery, occasionally chanting poems. He would also play the lute to express his emotions, leading a free and easy life. 

One night while he was sailing alone, he found that he could not fall asleep, constantly turning and tossing in his attempts to rest. Wen Yuan was young, and he had a lot on his mind as he gazed upon the moon and the lake, admiring their beauty. He thought of his fellow apprentices. They had studied art together since they were young, and were always inseparable. Whenever his senior fellow apprentices were ordered to go out, Hua Xuan was always there. However, he had to travel alone these days, and he could not help but feel lonely. His only entertainment was to play his guqin and chant poems to the moon. 

As his song was nearing its end, Wen Yuan felt more relaxed after plucking the last few notes. Suddenly, sounds of plucked strings filled his ears, and he listened to them attentively. It was the sound of a chinese lute coming from the shore. The sound was soft, yet it could be heard with clarity in the silent night. It harmonized with the sound of lake waves, making it very pleasing to the ear.

A thought occurred in Wen Yuan’s mind and he questioned himself, “Where does that fascinating sound come from?” He stepped out of the cabin. The sound of the chinese lute came from the shore, penetrating through the fog as though it was sobbing. The song ‘An Autumn Moon Over the Palace of Han Dynasty’ expressed the feelings of a person’s unending melancholy, making it a very touching tune. Wen Yuan was infatuated as he thought to himself, “Chinese lute songs are often named after a concubine’s resentment and other feminine imagery. ‘Lament of a Fair Lady’, ‘Tears of an Imperial Concubine’, ‘At the Dressing Table’, ‘Lan Huamei’ and so on. However, ‘reminiscing about the Han Dynasty’ is what makes up the essence of this song. What the great masters of ancient times wanted to bring out in the lyrics of this song was the pain of leaving their own country, as well as lamenting how the prosperity of the country was fleeting. The softness in a chinese lute’s sound represents the helplessness after experiencing failure, but not the gentleness of a woman. Seeing how the song is so gentle and reluctant, it must be played by a woman.”

The sound of the chinese lute gradually faded as the song ended. Wen Yuan went back to his boat and came out carrying his guqin. He sat by the bow of his boat and started playing. Under his fast fingers came the song ‘High Mountain and Running River’. It sounded smooth and elegant, like how Boya met his soulmate Ziqi. He was pumped up, the clanging of guqin strings bringing out the feeling of magnificent mountains and great waves. Suddenly, the sound of the chinese lute sounded again, playing the same tune. Surprisingly, the guqin song sounded very elegant when it was played from a chinese lute, as though one could imagine the scenery of tall mountains and flowing waters. While it did not sound as realistic as Wen Yuan’s guqin, it was still graceful and engaging. Both of them complemented each other, as though Wen Yuan was alongside a young lady, travelling through the mountains and rivers hand in hand. He was telling her his ambitions while she was next to him, answering him with a smile… 

Wen Yuan’s mind was at ease after the sound of the chinese lute faded. His sorrows were gone. A thought appeared in his heart, and he started playing ‘Guan Ju’. Silently, his thoughts turned to the lyrics, “Guan guan cry the ospreys, on the islet in the river. The beautiful and good young lady is a fine mate for the lord. Varied in length are the water plants, left and right we catch them. The beautiful and good young lady, waking and sleeping as he wished for her, longingly, longingly…” The song was filled with love.

‘Guan Ju’ ended and the sound of a chinese lute could be heard once again. It was a song titled ‘Qian Chang’, extracted from ‘The Odes of Zheng’ in the classic of poetry. “If you, Sir, think kindly of me, I will hold up my lower garments, and cross the Zhen. If you do not think of me, are there no other people doing so? You, foolish, foolish fellow!... If you, Sir, think kindly of me…”

The lyrics and music are used to ridicule people, for it’s true meaning was “If you really miss me, lift your garment and cross the Zhen River to find me. If you don’t, isn’t there another man for me? What a fool you are! …” The song is lively yet smooth, and very pleasant to the ear. It was as though a pretty girl was standing far away, so near yet so far, as she smiled sweetly at him.