From Liao Island to Singapore

Saying goodbye to Liao Island as I board the boat at dawn,
The sail sets off flowing effortlessly downstream,
Trees and mountains surround us,
As fine weather and a gentle breeze send me off.
A graceful song scares the cranes in the clouds,
And chaotic strumming of the chords stirs a cry from the seagulls,
Despite not knowing how far or near I am, I feel great,
As the lights of fishing boats enter my sight, I realise Xingzhou is just ahead.

游廖埠（二首之二)

朝辞廖屿上轮舟，一片帆开逐顺流。
绿树青山逢处处，和风丽日送悠悠。
谩歌雅调惊云鹤，乱拨鹍弦狎海鸥。
乘兴不知行远近，又看渔火照星洲。

A Poem for the Exotic Garden

The garden may be small, but it flourishes with diverse flora,
Banana leaves shaped like fans and pine trees that look like pagodas,
The maturing fruits weigh heavy upon the green canopy,
And blossoming flowers paint the scene from the window with a vibrant red.
Hungry monkeys stretch to steal mangosteens,
While thirsty birds leap on the branches to peck at rose apples,
Not only the betel nut tree grows to a hundred feet,
The sweet jackfruit is as large as a bottle gourd.

园多异木奇果编以成诗

林园小小树丛丛，扇样芭蕉塔样松。
果熟蛮头压簷绿，花开火焰照窗红。
饥猿引臂偷山竹，渴鸟攀枝啄水蓊。
岂独槟榔高百尺，波罗蜜大与瓠同。

Miscellaneous Poems of Singapore, No. 9

An excellent place to wander,
Where flavourful durians beckon with delicate scent,
The trees are bountiful with lychees,
And betel nuts are gifted for long-lasting love
Red plum dyes the rice in shades of peach blossom,
And yellow cloth seals the barrel of coconut wine slurry,
Pawning away all the sarongs with no regrets,
Just to have three days of durian.*

*There is a Malay saying “durian runtuh, sarong jatuh”,
which means “when durians drop, the sarong drops too”.
Sarongs were valuable enough to be pawned for durians in
the early days!

〈新嘉坡杂诗〉其九

绝好留连地，留连味细尝。
侧生饶荔子，偕老祝槟榔。
红熟桃花饭，黄封椰酒浆。
都缦都典尽，三日口留香。*

* “榴梿出，纱笼脱” 这句马来俗话，形容的是人们在榴梿季节典当纱笼换取现金
买榴梿的现象。纱笼在从前可是有典当价值的！

Miscellaneous Poems of Singapore, No. 10

In my house, the shadow of red bean tree rocks back and forth,
And the wall is dimmed by the surrounding green banana trees,
A visit to the mountain where the famous lacquer tree is found,
Weighing tools store the pepper in ounces and pounds.
Seeking rare scented wood amidst golden crops,
As azurite* produces tin shoots,
The rich farmer who owns all these puts on his working suit,
Going around to build as many round-huts as he can.

*A soft stone named for its deep azure blue colour.

〈新嘉坡杂诗〉其十

舍影摇红豆，墙阴覆绿蕉。
问山名漆树，计斛蓄胡椒。
黄熟寻香木，青曾探锡苗。
豪农衣短后，遍野筑团焦。

Passing Through Katong at Night

A path with sparse trees amidst the plains,
extends into the deep, leaving behind fiery clouds,
The coolness of the night tide gathers in scattered pavilions,
As rows of coconut trees comfort the autumn heart.
The wind leads the sail of fishing boats back to shore,
And rainwater puddles by the path invite wild grass to creep,
Moments with blossoming flowers,
Invite poets to recite of the beauty within.

晚过嘉东

平原驰道带疏林，隔绝炎云一径深。
错落矶亭凉汐信，分行椰竹净秋心。
风敧渔艇回帆受，雨渍樵蹊引草侵。
时有蛮花开烂漫，纷予內美入骚吟。

Coconut Trees in Formation

WIn divided rows, green coconut trees rise above the ground,
I have always loved to see the shade of coconut trees as the evening sun sets,
Every tree stands upright like a sturdy old pen,
And I pine longingly for a phoenix tree in the distance.
The whole night rain is rather moist, soaking the moonlight,
And the seaside breeze blends with the echoes of the tide,
These flourishing southern trees are so green, just like Qiquan’s renowned thousand-acres of bamboo.

椰树分成行列

分行拔地碧丛丛，长爱疎椰夕照中。
老笔双松垂直干，遥情百尺起孤桐。
润含雨气连宵月，凉送潮声近海风。
比似淇泉千亩竹，南方嘉树正葱胧。

Rains in Katong
Fourth day of the middle of Winter

Where did such a heavy downpour come from?
The melody of the rain sounds like countless fragments of jade falling into the stream,
The alleys are overcome with silence,
And the level tide makes it easy to watch the boats across.
People hurriedly shift pitiful pots of drenched orchids and chrysanthemums,
While boys play in the muddy sand, picking up clams,
This chaotic southern island rain is just like a winter storm,
Except in the snow, no one can see these shades of green.

嘉东雨
仲冬四日

朅来一雨四滂沱，万玉铮琮奏涧阿。
巷寂不忧相毂击，潮平自在看舟过。
人移盆盎怜兰菊，童逐泥沙拾蚬螺。
无雪偏饶南岛雨，雪中无此绿阴多。

Transplantation

Beyond the rain and wind amidst banana and coconut groves,
Lies a ridge-like row of green oak trees,
Everyone I cross paths with are descendants of Chinese,
Transplanted from across the southern sea.
Their accents have not changed,
But many generations have elapsed in the world.
Leisurely resting on the cow’s back, a herd boy’s flute sings,
A song for his own delight.

移植

蕉雨椰风外，连冈橡叶青。
相逢尽华裔，移植到南溟。
乡土音无改，人间世几经。
安闲牛背笛，吹出自家听。

Singapore

No longer an isolated island,
A causeway bridge has closed the gap, paving a way for transport,
I have travelled to and fro umpteen times from dawn till noon,
Yet it does not feel long at all.
Goods and products flow between neighbours,
And sentiments amongst different races blend as one,
With each year the rice crops ripen,
And new ground is cultivated to plant tea.

星岛

星岛今非岛，悬桥渡列车。
崇朝劳十反，未觉路途赊。
物产供邻属，民情化一家。
年年秔稻熟，辟地种新茶。

Four Quatrains about a diabetic patient quitting
rice, wine and dessert.

To Quit Wine

The world worsens with each day,
Moreover there are countless drunken dreams.
Not a single drop of wine shall break my word,
And from now on, poems and wines shall remain as regrets.

足疾兼旬医者以糖尿症切戒饭酒及甜品戏成四绝

禁酒
已嗟天道沉沦甚，况复纷纷醉梦多。
点滴未尝防破戒，从今诗酒叹蹉跎。

Four Quatrains about a diabetic patient quitting
rice, wine and dessert.

Foot Disease

Vimal’s foot disease is the root of his suffering,
Likewise, the world and I also find it painful to take a step and stretch.
There is not a piece of clean land left in this age,
Where shall I find a saint wandering in the human realm?

To Quit Rice

Is fasting from rice the elixir?
I am suffering this pain just like a hungry child.
The black bread satiates me for now,
To cherish one’s health, the right diet is key.

To Quit Dessert

I used to like the sweet and sour flavours,
But as I age my taste leans towards the bitter and spicy.
They say the sweetest part of sugarcane is at its bottom,
Let the cycles of life refresh as they should.

足疾兼旬医者以糖尿症切戒饭酒及甜品戏成四绝

足疾
维摩小疾觉熬煎，天步方艰我亦然。
末世已无干净土，人间那得地行仙。

戒饭
非关绝粒有金丹，宿疾真同稚子颜。
黑色面包权果腹，自应珍重劝加餐。

戒甜品
酸甜嗜好本同伦，老去偏教爱苦辛。
蔗尾回甘聊解说，让他世事自新陈。

An Excursion at Singapore’s Haw Par Villa

I was once here in this pavilion,
And here I am today again with tired eyes wide open,
Shimmering waves from across the shore,
Reflects colourful shades upon the pavilion.
From the kindness of the immortal and the wisdom of Buddha,
Thousands of poems have been written,
Amidst tiger roars and leopard howls,
I drink a cup of wine to steel my nerves,
Retreating deep into the secluded woods,
Where the pavilion is at the cliff’s end,
Glowing and dimming with the waves.

游星洲虎豹別墅

昔年曾记此登台，今日重临倦眼开。
对岸波光浮屿出，过江山色上楼来。
仙心佛慧诗千首，虎啸豹吟酒一杯。
回首人烟深树里，楼台明灭枕涛隈。

Thinking of Hometown

Memories of parting grief remain most raw,
The years have flashed by and I have endured hardships in many cycles,
After glimpsing the ups and downs of life,
New clusters of HDB flats have sprung up.
The full moon light fills the window in mid-autumn,
Despite the distant lamp lights out at sea, my dreams seem so close,
When can I re-visit my old hometown?
I have already become a senior resident of this southern spot.

怀乡

別绪行踪忆最真，年华闪冉几风尘。
浮光掠影沧桑后，组屋环居聚落新。
月皎盈窗秋正半，灯明隔海梦犹亲。
何时旧土重游览，我已南邦老籍民。

On Chen Zong Rui’s Painting
“The Huts by The Sea”

Fishing nets and wine bottles in every hut,
With sky as their garden, and the sea as the hall of their home,
Boats row in and out of the fishing village as usual,
A view so scenic even Jiangnan pales.

Plenty of Flowers

Plenty of flowers of all kinds in the same garden,
To my delight, the fragrances blend in harmony,
A toast to the East Wind,
For it brought more spring flowers this year.

题陈宗瑞画海隅水厝

家家纲罟杂壶觞，天作园庭海作堂。
一样渔村舟出没，江南无此好风光。

众花

众花同圃不同科，却喜香來有共和。
合犒东风一杯酒，今年春比去年多。

Singapore Botanical Garden Tea House

This is where I frequently let go of myself,
Strolling in the garden on a sunny day while the wind gently blows,
Like learning nature’s script I observe the marks of bird claw;
And the human realm has been turned into a monkey’s home.
Vibrant red of blossoming flowers soothes my body,
While the green of dense trees dyes my words,
Sitting here for a long time, the fish imparts sacca* to me,
And the shimmer of the lotus pond reflects deep in my cup.

*Sacca is a Pali word for “real” or “truth”, and often found
In the context of the Four Noble Truths—-a crystallisation of
Buddhist wisdom.

新加坡植物园茗坐

是常老子婆娑处，风日佳时涉此园。
如课天书观鸟跡，却移人境作猿村。
好花红欲通肝胆，密树青能染语言。
坐久一参鱼我谛，荷塘泛滟入深尊。

Durians

Its mighty thorns growing against the hot and humid forest,
This is how it becomes the king of fruits,
It looks as ugly as King Wu of Wei,
And smells almost like the great general Huan Wen.
People abroad are bragging about it over meals as if it was a huge date,
And the beauties smile despite hurting their tender fingers From parting the durian shell,
Pawning sarongs, one after another,
Craving badly for a durian, yet afraid to admit being poor.

榴梿

犯瘴沖炎角长雄，真成王者果林中。
何妨魏武形骸陋，差与桓温气味同。
沧海争夸餐巨枣，美人笑擘损春葱。
纷纷典尽都缦日，抵死留连尚讳穷。

Reminiscing the Past at Wan Qing Yuan*

The famous garden quietly faces the sloping sunset,
Beyond the door, flowers fall in dribs and drabs upon the moss,
Today, swallows circle the empty courtyard,
Unlike yesteryears, with its room full of fighting strategists.
The historic site is left here in this summer county,
Echoing the heroic legends of Han origins,
I chat at leisure with my children about the past,
So that they will not be ignorant of their Chinese roots.

*Wan Qing Yuan was Sun Yat Sen’s residence during his visit in Singapore.

晚晴园怀古*

名园静对夕阳斜，门外苍苔点落花。
此日空庭来燕雀，当年斗室蛰龙蛇。
千秋胜迹留炎峤，一代英豪起汉家。
闲与儿曹谈往事，休教肤发昧中华。

*园为孙中山先生来星时所居。

An Autumn Feeling

The autumn wind blows by the West Tower every day,
But it does not diminish the lush southern scenery one bit,
White clouds stretch across the horizon in everlasting summer,
Whilst leaves are red all seasons, not knowing that there is autumn.
Birds chirp in the willow trees as the weather becomes pleasant,
Shade creeps up the mountain upon sunset, secluding it by night.
Never allow autumn griefs to greet the great poet Du Mu,
The ancient poet will mock your indiscriminate use of words.

秋兴

金风日日度西楼，未改南中景物稠。
千里白云长是夏，四时红叶不知秋。
鸟鸣垂柳晴偏好，山映斜阳晚更幽。
莫漫悲秋怀杜牧，滥词赢得古人羞。

The Merlion

Staring nonchalantly at thousands of boats through the ages,
At this river where the lonesome heart converges with thousands of currents,
Must the head and the tail always be split?
Hard and soft supplement each other when combined.
My nature is neither fish nor beast,
But an uncrowned lord who loves the mountains and streams,
I am independent not without my own way,
Be it rising or falling all things have always followed the dao.

鱼尾狮

久将冷眼看千舟，別有孤怀汇万流。
何必两端分首尾，自成一体济刚柔。
非鱼非兽本吾性，乐水乐山真素侯。
岂是无方而独立，古今长与道沉浮。