Meige Poetry Manuscript

Author: He Xiaoping
Editor: Ji Xue
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1999-01-01
Features:
Excerpt: Spring outing in green waters and mountains intertwined, fragrant meadows in clear spring. Spring outing unaware of the late return, eyes filled with falling flowers and purple wisteria. In spring of 1979 in Wuhan, Jingnan Street, joyfully composed upon hearing the family's return to the city. The east wind brings joy to the cottage, the whole family delights in boundless happiness. Winter's end brings spring's beauty, gratitude to heaven and mother. In summer of 1979 in Wuhan, Jingnan Street.
Afterword: This collection of over 300 poems, gathered here, reflects my observations, experiences, and emotions over the past two decades of life, study, labor, and work. I came into this world with nothing, yet the works presented to you are all marks of life's journey—grants of love and guidance from my parents, school, organization, colleagues, and society. They have given me so much; I should openly share my heart. I believe that even if my poems are naive, their rhythms rigid, or as Heine once said, "a bee sting in sweet honey," they will not provoke laughter. The title "Poems from Meigu Pavilion" originates from Goethe's line: "The earth produces poetry, ancient and modern, endless. Like grasses at the source, once kissed by spring, they live but once." Earth—poetry—spring—grasses! My poetic sprouts grew in the fertile soil of Hejia Kou, where the wind of Meigu soars. My creative journey spans three periods:
1. "Hejia Kou Period" (1970–1978): These eight years are etched in my memory. Due to well-known reasons, I dropped out of school in 1970 to work in the countryside. Though I labored on third-line projects, water conservancy sites, and between Hunan, Hubei, and Sichuan provinces, my roots remained in Hejia Kou. With a pure heart, I marked 2,900 days, deeply loving the land that nurtured me. The hardships of rural life and the fervor of construction sites forged my will, strengthening my courage and confidence. In the glow of kerosene lamps, I composed works like Pasture Return, Lotus Harvest, Wild Fishing, and Scenery of the First Month, expressing my boundless affection for my homeland, friends, and nature. Stone's Complaint, Reclamation Lake Ballad, and Canal Ode poured out my anger at the "Gang of Four's" extreme "leftist" policies and chaotic directives. Naturally, some poems of this period also reflect the nihilistic thoughts of Buddhism and Taoism, as well as a touch of pessimism. I trust readers understand—I was but a teenager then.
2. "Wuhan Period" (1978–1996).
3. "Beijing Period" (1996–present). During these periods, I seized gaps in internships, conferences, inspections, and news reporting to immerse myself in the beauty of my homeland. The towering Mount Tai, the vast Yangtze River, the roaring Yellow River, the azure sea, the picturesque East Lake, the perilous Three Gorges, the magical Dengzhou seascape, the jagged Kunming Stone Forest, the vast Shennongjia primitive forest, and places like Cuiping Village in Guangdong, Yueyang Tower in Hunan, Sun Island in Harbin, and the Pearl of Hepu in Guangxi—all found their way into my ink and brush. The cultural landmarks and majestic landscapes of my nation profoundly nurtured my spirit. I seem to have entered the realm Shakespeare described: as a person and a citizen, I love my country even more deeply.
Over the past two decades, with growing experience, my creative themes, content, and styles have broadened. Beyond landscape and travel poems, I have also written satirical verses, odes to objects, critical poems on poetry, philosophical verses, reflective odes, collaborative poems, and elegies. Generally, my works adhere to traditional forms, tones, and rules. In form, they include regulated poems like five- and seven-character quatrains and regulated couplets, as well as ancient-style poems like five- and seven-character classical verses, along with a few modern poems, prose poems, and even occasional ci quatrains. I have also experimented with head-start poems and three-, four-, and six-character verses. In rhyme, I follow the Pingshui Rhyme (compiled by Liu Yuan of the Southern Song dynasty in Rizi Xinkan Libu Yunlüe and Wang Wenyu of the Jin dynasty in Pingshui Xinkan Libu Yunlüe). Due to my hobby of poetry writing, I have not deeply studied the 106 rhyme divisions of the Pingshui Rhyme. Occasionally, I have relaxed some rules within the same rhyme division—for instance, "Yidong" and "Erdong," "Shizhen" and "Shiwen," "Shisan yuan" and "Shisi han," "Shiwusan" are sometimes used interchangeably; and "Sanyao" and "Sihao," "Bajing" and "Jiuqing," "Shizheng" are also flexible. As for tonal patterns, I believe that as long as a poem is labeled "regulated verse," it must not violate the rules. However, in some cases, I do not strictly adhere to tonal patterns—for example, in Wild View of Mount Tai, the couplet "Lacking the waist, plucking colorful clouds; opening the mouth, calling the wind," where "cloud" should be a falling tone, but to enhance the of "wind dancing alone, clouds parting to reveal empty spring fields," I could not let tonal rules hinder the meaning.
The works included in this collection, with the exception of names, places, and some obscure allusions, are unannotated, leaving space for readers to imagine, reflect, and critique. I must also mention Cao Yu, the great master of literature, who showed great concern for the literary creations of the younger generation. Three years ago, he inscribed the titles Clear and Pure Mountain Stream and Life Carved in Jade for me—originally two prose poems that won first prizes in the 35th and 40th anniversaries of the Construction Bank of China. At his suggestion, they became the titles of the landscape and human affairs sections of this collection. Today, they are finally published together, a fitting tribute to his spirit.
My father, Mr. Jian Guo, a member of the Chinese Poetry Society, vice chairman of the Hubei Poetry Society, and secretary-general of the Fuzhou Poetry Society, not only introduced me to the cradle of poetry but also generously guided, critiqued, and corrected every draft. His dedication to this collection will never be forgotten. Today, when poetry, especially classical poetry, faces a decline, readers and admirers of poetry are rare. Renowned poet Mr. Ji Xue, former Construction Bank elder Mr. Wang Furang, and distinguished scholar Dr. Fan Yifei took time out of their busy schedules to review the manuscript, offering corrections and encouraging verses that moved me deeply.
Leaders and friends from the Propaganda Department of the CPC Central Committee, the State Press and Publication Administration, the Chinese Poetry Society, the China Calligraphers Association, the Propaganda Department of the CPC Hubei Provincial Committee, the Hubei Provincial Press and Publication Bureau, news organizations in Wuhan, the Wuhan Writers' Association, the Construction Bank of China, and its provincial, municipal, and county branches—especially the Hubei Provincial Branch and its local offices—have all provided great support for the publication of Poems from Meigu Pavilion. Mr. Li Duo inscribed the title, and Mr. Zhang Muren took time to write the preface. Leaders, colleagues, and fellow poets such as Mr. Li Deran, Mr. Jin Hongge, Mr. Song Chunxi, Mr. Zhang Youjun, Mr. Zhang Zhiwei, Mr. Yu Jingbo, Mr. Zhang Gengsheng, Mr. Fang Fuhua, Mr. Shi Huwen, Mr. Zhao Zhongshi, Mr. Fang Lianshui, Mr. Sun Jinquan, Mr. Chen Wanbin, Mr. Liu Jian, Mr. Bai Jianguo, Mr. Zhu Shanshan, Mr. Jiang Zhidong, Mr. Wang Yaning, Mr. Lu Kěigui, Mr. Lin Fan, Mr. Wang Boxi, Mr. Yang Yu, Mr. Ren Weidong, Mr. Zou Jingui, Mr. Chen Eryao, Mr. Li Yan, Mr. Shi Lanjing, Mr. Li Yin, and Mr. Zhao Yan have also consistently supported my writing and manuscript preparation. Their selfless help and friendship are invaluable.
I am also deeply grateful to those unsung editors whose efforts enabled my poems to appear in Hubei Farmers' Newspaper, Construction Bank Newspaper, China Central Television, Chinese Poetry, Economic Daily, Press and Publication Daily, Financial Times, and Jingchu Poetry Grand View. Without their strong support, no matter how hard I worked, I could never have reached such heights. Here, I compose a poem to express my sincere gratitude to everyone, both on and off stage, who cared for my creation and the birth of this collection.
Spring's kindness showers blessings,
Poetry bathes in the east wind's embrace.
Autumn's harvest day dawns,
Unforgettable the nurturing grace.
Author, October 1998, Beijing