陈彦雄现代诗英译与赏析
Modern Poetry Collection by Chen Yan Xiong
With English Translation & Appreciative Comments
陈彦雄／著
李映蓁／译
陈彦雄 /译审
历史人物（三首）
老子骑牛而至
一个夜晚
一声“哞——”从天而降
紫气东来
破窗而入
人道是老子骑牛而至
僵固的灵魂
似乎楔入某种奇异的因子
这座城市的上空
回旋着来自《道德经》渗出的氤氲之气
中规中矩开始进入观察者的视角
顺应天性判断者的立场
和独特的思想
名利场上厮杀得体无完肤的士大夫
会在行吟自适归隐山林中
寻回精神的空间
你甚至可以重返东篱下
撷一把缀满莹露的菊花
商业社会的高速列车燃烧出焦虑的异味
上善若水却渗入拥挤浮浊的缺口
和断隙的轨道
思维的多样性演绎成火水相激的壮观
锻造新新人类的强度和韧性
以及顺应自然的从容
因失望而去的老子并没有断袖决绝
几千年真言不断解码
圣者随时而行 贤者应事而变
智者无为而治 达者顺天而生
一掬文化之水
绵延成大气层源源不绝的生命
自由呼吸的能源
一个长者
尘埃滚滚 战火纷飞
尔虞我诈道不尽道德缺失弱肉强食的丑陋
一个长者垂立河之畔
“逝者如斯夫，不舍昼夜”
一颗寂寞的灵魂落进大河的苍茫
周游列国
风霜雨雪 九死一生
“仁”啊
何处是它成长的沃土
一个长者
他如火照人的瞳孔
他跋涉的疲惫
感悟天地的话语
已如长明的灯火
从一个躯体植入另一个躯体
从一种语系流入另一种语系
他修身治国平天下的箴言
远隔两千多年的淘洗
沧海桑田
依旧是清澈的泉眼
祭慰苍生的圣言
一个长者
打开深宫大院生锈的钥匙
将囚禁得奄奄一息的苍白文化
晾晒在永恒的太阳底下
成就知识蓬勃的生命
教育的普惠
造就思想的圣莲
和世世代代传承不息的灯火
一个长者
偶尔慨叹时不我与
脚下依旧是坚实的脚步
一个长者
在迷宫的路道中刻下永恒的路标
与天地长存
一代名相
一盏灯灭了
一颗明星划过五丈原的长空
一个魁伟的身躯矗立成
一座世人久仰的神像
一个智慧的民族
又有了智慧的史卷
天下分崩离析
哀鸿遍野
一条卧龙
源于一个神圣的使命
从隆中走出
忠心义胆 鞠躬尽瘁
奠定三国鼎立的版图
羽扇纶巾 神闲气定
补缀乾坤
出自经天纬地之才
风云际会
发自文韬武略之腹
忧
为天下思
苦
为天下谋
一代名相六出祈山
抛弃偏安一隅 坐享太平的短见
威慑关中 义薄云天
誓成天下一统的宿愿
一个智者
从史书走出
飓风般的力量推开智慧之门
激荡中华民族
自强不息 兴利除弊
走向大同
History Figures (Three poems)
Riding an Ox, Coming Laozi
One night
A sound of "moo", falling from sky
Purple air, from the east
Crash across a
It is said Laozi coming here, riding an ox
Rigid soul
Seemingly insert into a kind of magic gene
Above the city
Circle misty dense, filter from "Tao Te Ching"
Norms and rules, emerge into observers ' perspective
Follow inborn judgers ' standpoint
Unique thinking as well
Vanity fair, literati and officialdom, fight against, how intense
Troubadour, sing and adapt the self into mounts and forests,disappear
Search spiritual space back
Even you can return to the east hedges
Pick a bundle of chrysanthemum dotted with glittering dews
Express in commercial society, burning out anxiety, the strange flavor
Great kindness, as water, seep into crowded, floating-dirt lack
Broken, leaking orbit
Develop a variety of thinking, magnificence of collision between
water and fire
Temper strong and flexible qualities of new people
Tolerance to follow nature
Laozi, for disappointment, gone, while not cut off sleeves and stony
Truth of thousand years, constantly decoding
Saint, take action at any time; virtuous, change as change happens
Wise, to deal by no action; advanced, born from nature
A hand of water of culture
Prolong as continuous life of atmosphere
Freely take in energy
An Elder
Clouds of dusk, flames of war
Cheat one another, not express dirt, moral lost, the strong killing the weak
An elder, standing at the side of river
"Thus things flow away days and nights"
A seed of solitary soul, falling into vast river
Travel around all countries
Wind, frost, rain and snow, survive from nine deaths
Ah, "Benevolence"
Where is the soil for her growth
An elder
His lighting up eyes of people, as fire
His trudging weariness
Come to realize discourse of heaven and earth
Been the long bright lamp
From one body into another
From one language system into another
His maxim, self-cultivation, state-governing, peace-the-world
Afar two thousand years ' vicissitude
Sea and fertile fields
Still eyes of pure spring
Holy word to solace all beings
An elder
A patinous key to deep palace and great yard
Pale culture, almost dying in prison
Unfold under the eternal sun
Reach knowledge-flourishing life
Pervading education
Create holy lotus of thinking
Never-extinguished light succeed by generations
An elder
Sometimes to sigh, time not for self
Still determined footprints under his body
An elder
Paths of maze, carve eternal signs
Live long as heaven and earth
Chancellor through Generations
Off a light
Long sky of five-fathom plain, going across a bright star
A big and tall body, standing as
A holy statue, generations showing respects towards
A wise nation
Hereby owing wise history volume
The world split into pieces
Mournful swallows everywhere
A lying dragon
Originate from a holy mission
Coming out of Longzhong
Faithful, chivalrous and devoted
Hereby helping the establishment, map of three kingdoms
Feather fan, silk kerchief, his manner, stable and casual
To compensate, and to seam, Qian and Kun
Talent from longitudes and latitudes, heaven and earth
Meeting of winds and clouds
From stomach of literary competence, military strategy
Anxiety
Think for the world
Bitterness
Seek for the world
Chancellor through generation, six times out of Mount Qi
Abandon shortsighted view, living satisfied in one place and enjoying peace
Threaten central Shanxi Plain, his loyalty, not thinner than the cloudy sky
Persistently, wish to unify the world
A wise man
From historical texts
Hurricane-like strength, push out gate of wisdom
Inspire Chinese people
To be strong, up to the positive, off the negative
Go to Great Harmony
致一位学者
他
从远古走来
从天际降临
雄旷而细腻
高昂而悠扬
神奇而多采
浪漫而丰盈
他如同古老民族熊熊的火焰
在古老民族文化的精髓里燃烧涅槃
灵魂的沟壑清晰而鲜美
他有如浪漫西方袅袅的轻烟
在西洋异族文明的华章里轻舞飞扬
智慧的高山巍峨而挺拔
古老的灼灼火焰舞动起
浪漫的缕缕轻烟
他是东西方精神王国
高傲的骄子
腾飞的巨龙
翱翔的苍鹰
他是宇宙里混沌初开
神秘的陨星
奇妙的光晕
七彩的霓虹
他
款款的暖流 涓涓的清泉
充盈起生灵清明的灵光
他
深邃的目光 旷远的襟怀
丰富起生命昂然的毅力
他
从远古走来
朝未知的领地走去
从天际降临
向神秘的天宇踏步而去
To a Scholar
He
From the ancient
Down from edge of sky
Grand yet subtle,
Lofty and elegant
Magic and wonderful
Romantic and affluent
He, as raging fire of ancient people
In marrow of that ancient culture, burning Nirvana
Spiritual ravines clear, fresh and beautiful
He, as breezing, mild smog of the romantic west
In grand chapters of alien western people, dancing and flying softly
Wise mounts, high and tall
Ancient, raging fire is dancing to produce
Threads of romantic, mild smog
He is the spiritual kingdom of east and west
Proud son
Soaring, colossal dragon
Soaring eagle
He is the chaos, beginning of universe
Mysterious meteor
Wonderful halo
Colorful neon
He
Gentle, warm current, trickling, pure river
Fulfill clear and bright light of spirit for all beings
He
Deep eyesight and wide outlook
Enrich determined strength of life
He
From the ancient
Go to the unknown space
Down from edge of sky
Towards the mysterious universe
与一个书院的对视
它没有喧嚣
四百年来
在我的祖辈那里如一条河
流进我的血液
有时它汹涌
于是我振臂
在洁白的纸张以及键盘
记录思想的轨迹
记录一个文化人的理性思辨
在奔放线条上的思考
有时它缓缓而沉着
一个洗尽苍桑的智者
澄澈宁静的沉默
但你看不到起点和终点
它的精神云蒸霞蔚
升华为一片灿烂
一切都可以剥离
但面对一个书院
你只能靠近让心灵呼吸
我们在一张纸上构造的华厦
我们在一条河流荡出美妙的旋律
有一个古老的书院
在背后推波助澜
Gazing on An Institute
It has no noise
For four hundred years
As a river, in time of my ancestor
Flow into my blood
Sometimes rage
Thus I spread my arms
On white paper, by keyboard
Record traces of thought
Reason of a man of culture
Think along the running lines
Sometimes become slow and calm
Sage experienced vicissitude
Clear, serene and silent
While you might not see the start and the end
Its spirit evaporates as blue clouds
Elevate as a piece of glory
All can be peeled
But faced with an institute
What you can only do is approaching and let your spirit breathe
We construct magnificent buildings on a piece of paper
We ripple a wonderful melody in a river
There is an old institute
Behind us, and push us
欣赏评论
现实与理想：诗化的理性探索
——陈彦雄现代诗歌评论
黄春龙
诗歌作为思想精神观照生活现实的柔性表现，展示了诗人对社会人生的感性认知与理性探索。诗主情是诗歌美学的主流表现，而更倾向于作为思想家的诗人陈彦雄，却乐意用他强势的理性渗透于字里行间，从他对易经玄学学术研究的经验出发，化天宇哲思于小诗情意内，展现了他在纷繁的生存环境中欲静而安、向往自由、富于情思及永葆青春的积极精神面貌。
一般人会疑问：作为易经研究学者的陈彦雄，何以在诗歌中展现他的诗人气质。确然，易经研究是奥秘之学，常人没有勇气触碰，更别说深入门道，究出点内容来。然而陈彦雄除了卓有成就易学专家的身份，还是造诣颇深的画家，更难得的是，其研读古今文学经典，尤其对古典诗词学识甚深；浸染于传统文化精髓中的陈彦雄自然为传统审美影响，故此诞生了他根于传统抒情手法，传统情怀与现代哲思相结合的现代诗歌作品。看惯了现代网络手段助势下的口水诗、垃圾诗，转而欣赏陈彦雄浓郁着回归传统、泛着现代思想的诗歌，诚如一股清新之气，令人心怀馨然。张闳在《声音的诗学》一书中写道：“当下的汉语写作陷入一个前所未有的窘境。言说的窘境，真正地说，即是灵魂窘境的表征；或者，更进一步地说，是灵魂窘境的根源。”在现代解构主义让人近乎疲倦情景之下，与其前行，不如回归，回到传统，回归真实与完整。从陈彦雄的颇具理性探索意义的诗歌作品中，便让人感觉到此点的可贵。
一、小我世界的现实关怀
作为诗人的陈彦雄看起来风度翩翩、神采奕然，具有天生的诗人气质，然而隐藏在其光彩背后的是艰辛的奋斗史，他从未在个体形象中表露出点滴失落。在我看来，他内心深处从来便拒绝颓废、消极与痛苦，在思想中他希望通过个体的付出弥补残缺而不是解构，在小我世界里总是保持着积极向往、深切关怀的情愫，不管前途多艰、吉凶莫测，总是昂首挺胸、勇于进取。展示在《心灵的相思树》《把握生命最美的瞬间》诗辑中的诗情文思，最能体现诗人对社会人生的积极精神面貌与人文关怀。
《心灵的相思树》诗辑看起来是以男女狭义的爱情为主题的作品，而我更愿意把它们当作一组广泛意义的抒情诗来解读，其中展示了诗人之于自我人生理想的关注、社会人生的温情关怀。如《邂逅美丽》诗中写道：
你在何方 ? 我要用悲悯仁爱的精神 / 逆境不屈的意志 / 作成最华贵的胸饰 / 别在你的心中 / 闪烁的光辉 / 映衬你这造物主赐予的神奇
你在何方 ? 我要用阳光的灿烂 / 返璞的纯美 / 建造你我居住的天堂 / 手牵着手 心连着心 / 直到地老天荒
你在何方 ? 在没有人时我会为你歌唱 / 那是脱俗的天籁 / 可以唤醒昏睡的世界 / 临照美好的河山……
这显然不仅仅是男女邂逅生情牵思的表达，更蕴育着诗人与人生中某些值得珍视之物“邂逅”而顿生爱情，此“物”恰是值得上下求索的高贵品质与人生理想，因此所生之爱情“直到地老天荒”便不足为奇矣。爱情与理想追求是内质相同的人生目标，只有耐心、恒心、专心者可以最终拥有，其中反映了诗人自我情性塑造的可贵之处。
诗歌内涵的多义特征寄托于诗歌形象的飘逸、游离之上，尤能体现陈彦雄诗歌在这点上把握技巧的作品，当属《致红颜》一诗：
她是一个画家 / 画过许多美丽的大树 / 动脉和静脉 / 是树最流畅的线条 / 甘美的果实累累 / 是颗颗仁慈挚爱的心 / 我踯躅树下 / 没有采摘 / 一个声音呢喃低语 /“你是我心中唯一的家园”
她是一个诗人 / 写过许多或淡或浓的诗章 / 诗章宛如流动的长河 /冒着汩汩殷红的热血 / 注入我奄奄一息的躯体 / 我睁开久合的双眼 /无人能感应 // 一个声音呢喃低语 /“你是我心中唯一的家园”……
画家和诗人是具体的形象，与诗题中“红颜”看来有顾左右而言他之嫌，其实恰是此诗之妙处所在，由“画家”与“诗人”辐射出来的未明内涵不言而喻；再者，诗中四节结构相仿，各自独立，韵律轻柔美妙，体现了诗歌整体美和情韵美的内涵；诗之形象清晰而飘逸，每个形象构建一幅画面海市蜃楼般飘悬于空，在即逝中沉淀到人们的审美印象深处。
同样值得一提的《你和我》和《梦幻》两诗，以情韵美令读者如沐*光春**，心旷神怡。如《你和我》写道：“水枯 鱼死 / 花谢 蝶伤 / 你以水的永恒 花的灿烂/成就鱼蝶永生的神话/和存在飞翔的意义”；《梦幻》言：“这一切甜美得像梦 / 奇妙得像梦 / 你献给我童话里诗的王国/ 我就是童话里诗的王子 // 这一切甜美得像梦 / 奇妙得像梦 / 我献给你人世间爱的天堂 / 你就是人世间爱的美神”。超脱男女爱情的意义考虑到诗歌体现的广泛内涵，巧妙地流露出诗人之于生活、之于人生的积极态度，纵使现实并非一如所愿，内心的向往却一如既往地坚持，这种坚持强势地反映了诗人希望“把握生命最美的瞬间”，把握小我世界中可触可感的点点滴滴，如此强烈的现实关怀态度体现的正是一个文人的心胸与品质。
二、大我世界的情感观照
诗人陈彦雄曾说过大概这样的话：个人需要社会、国家这样的大舞台来展示才华，故此社会安宁、国家昌盛摆在自己心愿的首位，其次才强调个人的才能。这是一种具有高度的价值观念，强调了小我与大环境的和谐关系，这种观念的形成，自然促成诗人以小我之身对大我世界中生活、社会事物的关注情怀。通俗地说，即热爱生活，热爱生命。《我爱潮汕》组诗中《樟林古巷》写道：
而我*途征**的起点——樟林古港 / 只有自豪 没有悲伤 / 只有笙歌没有遗憾
在诗人内心，悲伤、遗憾永远是过去时态的情绪，而自豪、笙歌才属于现代时态，过往皆成云烟，内心充满阳光。
《红头船》尤能窥见诗人这种自豪、自信的积极心态：
站在红头船的故乡遐想 / 新世纪的风在胸中激荡……
东方的潮音时时激响在南洋边 / 流淌在好望角 驰骋在加州彼岸 /没有尽头 只有起点 / 没有固守 只有奋发
“红头船”成为一种激励诗人勇往向前的文化符号，既是自己也是所有潮人的精神图腾。而《向生活致意》俨然是一首翻版的《假如生活欺骗了你》：“不论什么时候 / 是快乐还是忧伤 / 我们都要感谢生活”；“别让压力压垮你的双肩 / 放开你的步履 / 我们远足去 / 在江河的柔波里 / 做一条快乐的游鱼”。微笑、关怀、感恩是诗人向世界万物诉说的心灵词汇。
无论是之于爱情还是生活情感，陈彦雄留给读者的印象是同质的。作为读者更倾向于形成诗人这种积极心态的缘故。于我看来，诗人在认清小我与世界的关系这点上，对培养一种积极向上心态至关重要。哲学的框架在《周易》中有其抽象的体现，而诗人自然在《周易》的抽象里获得某些可依据的具体，并且使之成为内心方向的导航。“天行健，君子以自强不屈”“地势坤，君子以厚德载物”，天地乾坤的泛泛在诗人的行事指南中发挥了作用，故而看待人生遭遇，自然少去了一份悲怜，多增了一份自信；少去了一份退缩，多增了一份奋勇。
如果说玄理被诗人抽象地接受为具体，那么地域文化的丰厚底蕴则是诗人亲切感悟的具体，它环绕于诗人自幼而大的岁月里，浓郁于诗人生活的自里而外的环境中。潮汕平原数千年来积淀下来的风土人情文化内涵，足以令作为潮汕之子的陈彦雄获得一种自豪、自信、自强的优越心态，不管小我状况如何，文化的无形给他内心抹上了一层温馨的暖色情调，激励着他在挫折中奋起，在奋起中飞翔。概而言之，对于小我世界的现实关怀，源于诗人之于生存与人生的积极态度，而诗歌作为思想感情的形态表现，让读者一目了然，倍感亲切。
三、雄浑境界的诗性探索
对大我世界的情感观照，消退了具象世界可能带来的疼痛，甚至激起诗人走出迷途的信念、摆脱困境的勇气以及获得自我价值的期望，这正体现了具有哲学家气质的陈彦雄的处世智慧。在暗淡现实中强化理想的光芒，于低谷人生中呈现理性思考，化不安情绪为诗意图像，为诗人的思想境界绘制一幅永久暖色温馨的画卷，故而不管遭遇困境抑或步途阳光大道，都能安然不惊，自若而行。在雄浑的大境界中隐匿小我，放纵大我，在天马行空中获得了探索世界的愉悦。《天籁》诗辑正是诗人陈彦雄在雄浑境界中愉悦的表现。
雷电是天空恢宏的交响乐 / 奔腾不羁的气势 / 翻腾宇宙自强不息的滚滚巨澜 / 变幻莫测的情感
彩虹是天空无法之法的旋律 / 诗意的挥洒 / 塑造旷世难寻的经典 /从此 / 天圆地方成畅通无阻的两岸
潮汐是大地的心音 / 高低起伏 / 磅礴、忧郁、深远 / 久久地聆听 /你定能读懂大地 / 沉稳激情的心跳
露珠是阳光的休止符 / 配合着鸟鸣的节奏 / 落花的清幽 / 造化营建众生共荣的乐土 / 永恒的天籁
这是一首简单透明的诗歌。在靠近诗歌形象之前，我不否定地认为，积淀于诗人内心花园的并非纯然的恬宁，可以这样说，诗人内心的情感取向在面对“天籁”之时产生了明确的抉择，上升为显象的天地情怀唱起主调；当细细地赏析诗歌形象“雷电”“彩虹”“潮汐”“露珠”等时，顿然发觉，诗人认可的作为自然之子的万千形象给予自己的印象是“沉稳激情的心跳”，是“众生共荣的乐土”，诗人融情心于天宇、共哲思于苍穹，怀想悠远，情感超然。情感之超然，源于生存姿态之安然，诗人陈彦雄似乎一直在这样一颗安然之心中探索世界。《海之梦》中更能窥得一斑。“我的心中有一个蓝色的梦想 / 在跳跃的浪花中 / 让青春的风帆载着希望的浪漫 / 激荡着波涛的清响”。诗人从不拒绝青年所应有的蓬勃朝气，却抗拒现代思潮影响下的消极、堕落、颓废等情绪。“青年”在诗人的诗歌含义里，已超越了人生时间的界限，成为一种人生态度与精神。遍观陈彦雄的诗歌，几乎处处浓郁着这种积极因素和思索。
诗画的融合，则从具象的方面体现了陈彦雄诗歌的雄浑境界。陈彦雄诗性的思索反映在诗歌中所形成的诗歌境界，实际上就是诗与画、情与景的圆满结合，简而言之就是时间和空间的交汇。在诗中展现具象甚至多维的情境，即在诗歌流动的时间中展示一个个具有空间感的画面。在“诗中有画”这点上做得不错的诗人中，古有王维，近有宗白华。在作者看来，他们所传承的恰是诗歌艺术的空灵美感；于读者看来，其所创造的是时间与空间融合的多维美学内涵。陈彦雄善于山水、人物画法，不自觉中创造了诗歌多维的画面感。他尤喜纵思于广泛的时间与空间去寻索诗歌所必需的形象，故此诗中闪烁着古今中外的文化思想情感，大地天宇开阔的空间场面。如《青州旋律》组诗，融合浓郁的文化寻根，创造了扩大的时空视界。“在青州深厚的文化长河里 / 放飞灵魂的翅膀 / 追溯寻觅《清明上河图》的源头”（《青州心语》）；“青城是一个事实 / 青城也是一个幻影 / 因为带有太多的过去 / 青城已演化为一棵树或一条河流 / 或色彩层层叠加的油画”（《青城里的幻影》）；“穿越时空的交织 / 一条连汇古今的历史之脉 / 纳青城之神韵 / 汇入独行者血液的流动 / 婉约豪放与忧思 / 透过史书般的石板 / 放射沧桑和辉煌共铸的星光 / 锻造青城人沉稳庄严光彩照人的纯净/ 和昂然拼搏的内涵”（《千年古道的沉思》）。俨然一幅浓墨的风俗画，又似一卷意蕴深长的历史图景，虚实结合，具体线条与抽象场面融合，诗情画意悠扬。
我相信，诗人陈彦雄在广泛的具象与抽象中体现出来的诗性与理性的探索，遵循的必然是由“自我世界”向“生活世界”的艺术探索，并最终回到“人心世界”以企求生存品质的升华。“自我世界”“生活世界”与“人心世界”的对接，反映了诗人郑重的人文、人情关怀，这也恰是古今中国文人的核心精神。在中国人常有的逐求、厌离、郑重三种人生态度中，陈彦雄诗歌体现的便是郑重其事、积极向上的思想精神。
尽管诗人“郑重”而形上，积极探索，然而并非锋利的刀把，在他的诗中看不到点滴的刀光剑影。我将诗歌审美喻为“月光”与“刀子”，陈彦雄诗歌属于前者。因此无论在柔和的月色里如何暗示、警醒，以引起人们反思甚至批判思想，都会显得乏力无为。他之于生活世界的思索，更浓郁的是个人情感主动与生存内质的柔性对话，以期从中摸索人生困境的出路以及思想界限的扩展途径，而对生活世界本质的阴暗面是无为的。正因为诗人的审美倾向于传统诗学，在诗歌技巧上并不力求创新，在传统的创作手法、抒情方式基础上，难以融合现代手法的精华，这在很大程度上能获得习惯了中国阅读与审美方式的读者的认可，却难以通过诗歌承载现代诗歌思潮的精华，也就是说，无法在行进的时代获得同步的意义体现。这应该是诗人需要重新自我审视的吧。
总而言之，陈彦雄的诗歌展示了个体对世界的柔性探索，在以诗歌作为探索之路中，显然理性强势于感性；强势的理性思索里尽管蕴含着诗人浓郁的积极入世情怀，同时流露出诗人隐隐的生活焦虑感。不管是之于生活的积极追求向往还是隐蔽的焦虑，都体现了他强烈的现实与理想关怀。作为一名具有哲学气质的诗人，陈彦雄诗歌中展示出来的自我形象是令人钦佩的。
Real and Ideal: To Explore Reasonin Poetics
—Comments on Modern Poetry of Chen Yanxiong
Huang Chunlong
Poetry, as mild indication of our spirit in observation of real life, presentspoets ' emotional cognition and exploration of reason. Mainstream for poetic aesthetics nowadays is to express poet ' s emotion while poet as Chen Yanxiong,more as a thinker, is willing to exercise his strong reason in poetic lines. Starting from his experience in I-Ching and metaphysical academic studies, he turns philosophical thoughts on big cosmology into small sentiments of poems and thus reveals his eagerness for peace, freedom, affection, and active attitude,young mind in the intricate environment of modern time.
Generally he will be asked, as a I-Ching scholar, how can he perform characters as a poet in his poetry writing. Actually, I-Ching study is a kind of profound mystery, which common people may not have courage to access, not mention doing something about it. However, except making achievements as a I-Ching expert, he has a deep knowledge in Chinese painting and literary classics no matter ancient or modern present, especially in terms of classic poetry. Profoundly immersed in the marrow of Chinese traditional culture, Chen of course will own traditional tastes. Therefore, he has produced modern poetic works rooted from traditional lyric techniques, and to combine traditional feelings and modern philosophy. As the Internet has brought us many slobber poems, or even, those may be kinds of rubbish, reading Chen Yanxiong ' s works to appreciate the integrity, back to tradition with modern thinking, we can sense a breeze of fresh warmth. In Poetics of Sound , Zhang Gong has
written, "Prose writing in Chinese now has trapped in an embarrassing place, which characterized as the embarrassment of soul. Or further, the origin of the embarrassment of soul." Under the context where modern deconstruction almost exhausts readers ' minds, compared to continue such trend, it is better to return, and return to the traditional, the real and complete. Chen ' s works, with strong significance of exploring the reason, well demonstrate such quality.
1. Real Care for the Small Self
As a poet, Chen Yanxiong looks graceful, energetic with inborn characters to be a literary man. Yet, behind the grandeur is years of painful struggling, though he never shows a little frustration in shaping his individual image. From my perspective, deep in his mind, he rejects those negative feelings, depression, sorrow, pains and others. As for idea forming, he hopes to make up the lack of
self by individual efforts rather than deconstruction, to maintain the emotion of active progress and sincere care. No matter how rough the way will be, how hard
to predict danger or auspiciousness, he will be strong and fighting all the way. Poetic thought displays in Part 1 of the poetry collection is the best humanist care of Chen Yanxiong.
Seemingly Part 1 contains works which are narrowly themed by love between two sexes. I regard them as a group of lyric poems full with universal meaning to interpret instead, where Chen presents his concern on the ideal self of life, and the gentle care of society. For example, in "A Wonderful Meeting",
Where are you? I will exercise sympathy, love/Strong will to conquer hardships/As the noblest decoration /Tie deep in your mind /Shinning splendor /Reflectyou, such miracle endowed by nature
Where are you? I will employ sunshine ' s glory /Pure beauty from simplicity /Construct heaven for you and me /Hand in hand, heart with heart /Until the end of time and space
Where are you? Sing for you when nobody nearby /The sound of nature free from the secular /Wake the sleeping world up /Light up the wonderful motherland
Obviously, it is not only the expression of affection between men and women but pregnant with several "things" that Chen cherishes. The "things" are dignity and ideal life. Hereby it is no wonder that love born from such "thing" will be"until the end of time and space". In essence, pursuit of love and ideal life is the shared goal of common people. Only with patience, persistence, and attention,one can attain. Poem as this reflects a kind of valuableness—the self-sentiments-shaping of the poet.
Multi-layers of the poetic significance rely on the flowing and wandering images.
The best poem to employ such writing technique is "To A Beauty".
She is a painter /Draw out many beautiful trees /Arteries and veins /These smoothest lines of trees /Plenty sweet fruits /Sincere, sympathetic hearts /I, wandering under the trees /Did not pick down any of them /A voice is murmuring /"You are the sole home of my mind"
She is a poet /Write out many poems, light or heavy /Long and flowing river likewise /The gurgling, red, fresh blood spring out /Drip into my almost-dead body /A long time afterwards /I hardly open my eyes /While nobody knows /A voice is murmuring /"You are the sole home of my mind"
"Painter" and "poet", these concrete images, seemingly depart from the title, "To A Beauty", yet reveal why the poem wonderful. It is self-evident what "painter" and "poet" refers to. Plus, four stanzas of the poem shape alike, independent with mild and marvelous rhythm, showing beauty as a whole setting and the gorgeous connotation of the emotional elegance. Each clear and floating image in the poem has built up a picture of fantastic edifice suspending on emptiness, and in the instant loss, deposited into the inner brain of people.
Another two poems deserved to mention are "You and Me" and "Dream". They attract readers with the beauty of rhyme and the vision, refreshing their spirit in sunshine. Poem lines in "You and Me",
"Dried water, dead fish /Decayed flower, wounded butterfly /You, with the eternity of water, the brilliance of flower /Create miracle of eternal life as fish and butterfly /Meaning of existence and soaring" and in "Dream", "Everything is sweet like dreaming /Everything is wonderful like dreaming /You present me the kingdom of poetry in fairy tale /I am the poetry prince in it/Everything is sweet like dreaming /Everything is wonderful like dreaming /I present you heaven of love in the worldly world /You are the beautiful Goddess of love in it"surpass
love of two sexes and take account the universal connotation, sophisticatedly pour out the attitude of the poet, "from life, above life". Though the reality may not fulfill the inner needs, the poetic mind always persist on the aspiration, and such persistence strongly reflect that the poet wants to "Grasp the Most Beautiful Instant in Life", to grasp the world of small self, and bit by bit of accessible things.Such intensive attitude to care reality is the vision and quality of a literary man.
2. Contemplation on the World of Big Self
Chen has said that individuals need a big stage provided by the society and the country. Peace of society and prosperity of country should be the priorities and then come the emphasis on personal talents. That is a kind of significant belief stressing harmony between the small self and the big environment. Formation of such belief naturally will inspire the poet to dedicate the small self towards the big self, life of the entire world and matters of the whole society. Put it simple, that is to earnestly love life. In a group of poems, "I Love Chaoshan", there is one poem called "Zhanglin, The Ancient Harbor", Chen wrote, "While starting point of my long expedition- /The Ancient Harbor, Zhanglin /Pride, no sorrow /Songs, no regrets"
In his mind, "sorrow" and "regrets" are the psychological states of past while"pride" and "songs" should be kept for present.
The poem, "Hongtou Boat", specially will cut through the positive attitude of Chen, proud and confident:
"Stand in the hometown of Hongtou Boat, lost in thinking /Winds from new century are surging in my chest……"
"Constant sounds of Chaoshan in the east, passionately echoing, side of South Ocean /Float in Cape of Good Hopes and gallop in other side of California /No ends, only starting points /Nothing to stick to, only something to strike for"
"Hongtou Boat", as a cultural gene, inspires Chen to move on and thus it becomes the spiritual token of himself and all people in Chaoshan. While "Showing Respects towards Life" is just like another version of "If the Life Cheated You":
"Whenever /Happy or sad /We should show gratitude towards life" "Not let pressure weight down your shoulders /Let off your steps /We go hiking /Gentle waves of river /Be a happy fish". To smile, care and show gratitude is language deep in his soul the poet employs to talk with every being of the world.
Whether it is love or general feelings towards life, what Chen impresses the readers are always the same style in essence. As a reader, I am inclined to favor his positivism. It is important for everyone to cultivate an active quality faced with the relationship between self and the outside world. Philosophical certainly displays abstractly in I-Ching whereas Chen acquires some founded concreteness from it and forms it as the guidance of mind. "As heaven ' s movement is ever vigorous, so must a gentleman ceaseless strive along", and "As earth ' s character is ever tolerant, so must a gentleman boundless hold everything", both Qian of heaven, and Kun of earth are endlessly floating, functioning greatly as guidance in the poet ' s life. Hence, the poet see destiny as less grief and more confidence, not to shrink but to strive.
The poet accepts metaphysical principles as something concrete. Rich cultural heritage is what he seeks to be his understanding towards this "something concrete", which accompanies Chen ' s years of growth and abounds his
surrounding, inside and outside. Cultural significance of local customs and practices in Chaoshan plain that deposit for several thousand years bestows Chen with proud dignity. No matter the small self will be, intangible culture has decorated his inner mind with warm aura, inspired him to fight in hardships, to fly high through fighting. In short, real care for the world of small self originate from the active attitude of the poet towards survival and then life. As the representation of sense and sensibility of human, such kind of positive poetry will get close to readers.
3. Poetic Exploration in the Powerful Psychological State
Emotional reflection for the big self well presents Chen ' s wisdom in getting well with the outside world, functioning to soothe pains brought by the concrete world and even to stimulate faith of the poet for getting out of the deviated path and courage for getting rid of the difficult circumstance and finally, to realize self-value. Light of the ideal in dark reality, idea of reason in twists and turns of life, poetic pictures incarnated from the upset feelings, all depict as a everlasting roll with wonderful warmth for Chen ' s thoughtful state. Then, faced with ups and downs, he is always peaceful and freely to do himself. Under such powerful psychological state, he can conceal the small self and magnify the big self, and then enjoy the exploration of the world magically. Such enjoyment is what he has expressed in Part 3, Sounds of Nature, particularly, the poem with the same title,
"Thunder and lightning are grand symphony in the sky /Surging posture /Raise universe ' s strong, mighty, great tides /Changeable emotion
Rainbow, melody in the sky, the lawless order /Sprinkle of poetics /Classics shaping, rare over generations /From then on /Round heaven and square earth,the smooth banks
Tides are the sound of earth ' s soul /Ups and downs /Magnificent, melancholy, and deep /Listen to them for a long time /Surely you will understand the earth /Calm as well as passionate heartbeats
Dews, rest notes of sunlight /Dance to rhythms of bird ' s singing /Quiet fragrance of falling flowers /Create heaven that all people share its glory /The eternal sound of nature".
It is a simple and transparent poem. In the process to approach images of poem, I should say that the accumulation of mind of Chen is not solely serenity. In other words, the poet ' s emotional orientation, when confronting with the "sounds of nature", has generated a clear choice and then elevated to be the main argument, features of Heaven and Earth. As long as readers carefully
appreciate the series of images, "thunder", "rainbow", "tides" and "dews", they will suddenly discover "calm as well as passionate heartbeats", "heaven that all people share its glory", the impression that Chen has advocated and condensed, infinite images as the son of nature. The poet dissolves emotion in universe, shares philosophical idea with sky, so long his mind, and so supernatural his
spirit. Such supernatural spirit is produced from a living psychological state, tranquil and Chen seems to explore the world with such tranquility. Let us read,"Dream of the Sea", "I have a blue dream in my heart /In jumping sprays /Boats of youth carry romantic hope /Excite the tinkling of waves". Chen supports vigor of young people but opposes emotions considered to be negative, like being mournful, complaining, frustrated and so on. Poetic meaning of "Youth" in Chen ' s eye surpasses the limitations of timeline of personal, and becomes an attitude towards life and spirit. Positive elements and the passionate thinking are everywhere of this poetry collection.
The integrity of poetry and painting in another way suggests the power of Chen ' s poetry. His thought on poetics actually is the full combination between poem
lines and painting scenes, the sentiments and the scenery, or essentially, the crossing point of time and space. Through the history, poets who have made achievements in "painting of poetry" are Wang Wei in ancient Tang Dynasty and Zong Baihua in Modern China. For Chen, what they inherit is the beauty of a kind of flexible void while for readers, what they create is the multi-dimensional aesthetics melting in time and space. Chen, with his expertise of painting mounts and waters, and making portraits, unconsciously establish various layers of
the entirety for a poem. He is keen on searching necessary images for poetry writing from long time and wide space. That is why some of his poems include his understanding towards cultural forms at all times and in all countries and the spacious setting for the wide heaven and earth. For instance, "Melody of Qingzhou", a group of poems, shall be considered both as a genre painting with strong brush of ink and a profound scroll of history, synthesis of the false and the true, concrete lines and abstract scenes and the melting of poetics and picture. I believe that the exploration of poetics and reason by our poet, Chen Yanxiong, generating from the broad concreteness and something abstract, should follow
the artistic process moving from "the world of self" towards "whole life world" and at the end retreat to "the world of soul" and then elevate for refined qualities for survival. The connection of "the world of self", "whole life world" and "the world of soul" reveals the poet ' s prudent human care, which is also the core spirit of Chinese literary men starting from the ancient time. Among the three attitudes of life common Chinese people own, to pursue fortune and fame, to detest the earthly world and to be prudent for things, Chen belongs to the last, always positive and to make progress.
Despite such prudent metaphysics and positive exploration, readers cannot sense something like light of blades and shadows of swords. I might divide poetry into two types in terms of content, "moonlight" or "blades". Works of Chen should be the former. It may be weak no matter how the poet implies and warns people to reflect their lives or to form critical thinking in such moonlike poetry. His reflection on life is more the mild dialogue between active personal feelings and nature of survival. And then through the dialogue, he tries to seek a path to
escape from hardships of life, to enlarge one ' s thinking pattern. Nonetheless, he might be inaction when facing with the dark side of world. Reason to account the possible weakness of Chen ' s poetry might be the traditional poetics, which the poet is fond of as his principle of aesthetics. He may not be creative enough
due to the traditional lyric techniques. Lack of implement of the modern crafts on one hand greatly caters readers who have been used to Chinese style, yet, on the other hand, hard to hold the marrow of modern poetry. In another word, Chen shows no features pacing at the same time with the development of modern poetry. That is where the poet should examine himself and be renewed.
To explore the world softly from both sense and sensibility, Chen ' s sense is intensified as a reasonable thinking in his poetry. Such reason includes both his positive engagement with the worldly world of modern Chinese society and the opposite aspect, a kind of slight anxiety for life behind his reason. Yet whether positive or negative, he earnestly cares the real and ideal world of human being. Such carefulness builds up his image and makes me admire him from the bottom of my mind.
一掬文化之水
——论陈彦雄诗集
郑明标
中国传统文化亮点之一，是消弭物质与非物质、生命与非生命、人与自然的鸿沟，以宏观的思维洞察和把握宇宙万物。自《周易》诞生以降，特别是儒佛道三教峙立与合流，互相激荡，互相映衬，许多敏感的诗人，就常常将自身个体置于大自然之中，从浩瀚的时间与空间感悟生命和天地之间的变化。《庄子·齐物论》中说：“女闻人籁而未闻地籁，女闻地籁而未闻天籁夫！”在陈彦雄君的《天籁》中，诗人感悟到无论是雷电、彩虹、潮汐、露珠，还是鸟鸣、落花，都是自然界的音响。人们只要“久久地聆听”，一定能“读懂”“永恒的天籁”；而且，还能从天籁中感受到“奔腾不羁的气势”“自强不息的滚滚巨澜”“变幻莫测的情感”，也能领悟到“天圆地方成畅通无阻的两岸”，甚至瞻望“造化营建众生共荣的乐土”。又如《月亮与人》，“人月对话 / 圆满与残缺 / 循环往复年复一年”，天、地、人构成了永恒的宇宙，“为生物圈的繁华带来福音”。又如《距离》，在人看来，表面上时间、空间、心灵的距离难以跨越，“风筝”也受“线”的约束，就像“白云”与“海洋”在自然界中互相“牵挂”。但实际上这一切的物象都是同顶蓝天，同一宇宙，桑田变沧海，一切向“未来伸展”，“把时间的距离拉开吧 / 不就成了过去——现在——将来”。“心灵的距离是和而不同的分水岭”，“越过心灵的暗流”“一切便毫无阻碍地粘贴”。上述三首诗，都是把人作为大自然中的一分子，人与自然互动、互通、互融，这就是物我合一的生命观和宇宙观。在这些诗中，人与物，人与宇宙互为主客体，两者难分难解，浑融一片。
《周易》既讲“变”，也讲“不变”。大自然是不断变化的，但变化有一定的规律，变化的本身是永远不变的。时间、空间、心灵也是如此，永远都处在相依相悖，有分有合的矛盾变化之中。陈君另有二首诗，都是抒写时间和空间的转换：“写封信给昨天 / 告慰池前的水杉树/年轮圈圈外延/阳光 雨露/风霜 雷电/理想与奋斗一同成长”（《写封信给天》），“时间凝聚结晶成历史的责任 / 空间沉积演变成宇宙的宣言”（《时间和空间》）。易贯儒佛道，道统天地人，讲的都是天人同构，时空合一，变化无穷。显而易见，这两首诗也在探索和阐发这一意蕴。请看另一首《独饮寂寞》，抒发的也是宇宙和生命的本体观。尽管“在秦皇汉武唐宗宋祖的历史风骚中”“星移日转依旧”，人生的浮沉和起落，寂寞和热闹，“所有的灯红酒绿 / 在曲终人散之后 / 都复归于宁静与单纯”，这一切都在“变”与“不变”之中。诗中还引用禅宗“见山是山 见水是水”的著名论述，说明诗人在“参禅悟道”之后，领会了自然发展变化的客观规律。在广袤无垠的宇宙中，人的生命极其渺小和短暂，如何把握人的一生，遵循自然法则和宇宙规律，就成为摆在每一个人面前的严峻课题。在《超越生命》中，诗人对此进行思索：“思维因生命而存在 / 生命因探求而永恒 / 当我们走向缤纷的世界 / 求真就把我们引向坎坷的*途征**”，“前方的路总是光明与迷惑”“于是我们别无选择走在生活的浪尖 / 用激情和理性演绎一首悲壮的生命之歌”，“穿过傲慢与偏见 穿过荒诞与物欲”，看淡了“孤寂误解中伤的煎熬”，这才能“超越生命”，使“生命在追求中永生”，这就是诗人对生命存在意义与方式的回答。
陈君诗集还有几首采撷《易经》的阴阳概念和此后佛禅的因果报应观念。例如《清明之约》，诗人考察人民大众在清明时节“古今约定”亲人相见聚会，阴阳两个世界的人互动交流感情，同时开展“反思”与“教化”，阐明“种瓜得瓜种豆得豆”的道理，劝人为善。又如《心愿》，诗中写一对恋人从思念到相会，他俩坚信今世是前生的延续，今世“心心相应”，后世必将“同归天堂”。又如《隔膜》，诗人捕捉人间许多“无法言说”的“弦外之音”：一念之差，可以在“你来我往”的杀戮中使你我“崩塌”，也可“卸下铠甲”，彼此成为“知音”。禅宗主张人不分高低尊卑贫富，都可成佛。这首诗蕴含“放下屠刀，立地成佛”的理念，宣扬缩小“距离”，消除“隔膜”，加强“理解”，摒弃“怀疑”，创造知音相会的“愉悦”气氛，这是一种积极的人生观，而且，也淘筛了佛道消极避世的负面色彩。为了解决现代社会尔虞我诈、争名夺利的难题，诗人从老子的《道德经》获得了精神资源作为借鉴，写下《老子骑牛而至》一诗，在“上善若水，水善利万物而不争”的点拨下，像陶渊明等名士“采菊东篱下”，“名利场上撕杀得体无完肤的士大夫 / 会在行吟自适归隐山林中 / 寻回精神的空间”。联系到当今的“新新人类”，也能“顺应自然的从容”“智者无为而治 / 达者顺天而生”。
再如《砖魂组诗》（三首），砖的“贴近”和“疏离”两种空间形态，在诗中象征为“砖思想”，并把“砖”拟人化，砖在锻造中升华就是人格的升华，引伸为中华民族性格的升华：“朴实无华 大爱无言 / 表里如一 忍辱负重 / 包容万物 虚怀若谷 / 承接厚德载物的历史基因”。这些对砖的比喻和象征，都来源于诗人对有形的砖墙和无形的砖墙的种种发掘与阐释。《汉书·伍被传》：“聪者听于无声，明者见于未形。”由此可见，诗人执著于开掘砖墙与砖墙之间的“无声”之处和“未形”之处，也得益于深悟中国传统文化的精髓。
诗集中有一首《一条饥渴的中华鲟》，触及东西方文化的话语。诗中以“一条饥渴的中华鲟”为意象，“寻找属于自己的水域”。于是，找到庄子为“知音”，“也曾倾听孔夫子的叹息 / 经受老子思想的浸淫 /痛苦屈老的行吟 / 洛神与吾畅游兮”。“我始终在几千年的长河游弋 /蜕变成一条图腾的苍龙”，但仍自觉地“飞抵另一片陌生的水域 / 抽取新鲜的成分 / 滴进奔腾不息的长江 / 多少崭新的思想将从这里诞生”。可以预期，东方的龙一旦汲取西方新的气息和营养，就会以崭新的姿态出现于世上。还有一首以《易经》为镜，烛照东西方文化的差异、特征的现状和互相碰撞、融合的前景，这就是《当东西方文化碰撞之际》。诗中或以拟人化手法把东西方文化比喻为情人相爱，或以具象化方法描摹自然界诸多物象：“当东方的温柔与西方的浪漫一见钟情 / 就如仲夏夜月亮与星空交相辉映/你有你的广袤深远/我有我的宁静高清”——这是东西方文化的区别与特点。“当东方的恬淡邂逅西方的奔放 / 那是高山流水合奏的美妙乐章 / 巍巍的高山因澹然而伟岸因流水而动感 / 泱泱的流水因高山而歌唱而源远流长 / 可以长久地相偎相依 / 也可以遥遥地祝福 彼此凝望”“理性与感性的电光 / 已在凝眸神交中炸响”——这是东西方文化在互相抵牾中融化与重构。《易·系辞上》：“易有太极，是生两仪，两仪生四象，四象生八卦。”这里所说的“太极”，是派生万物的本原。陈君此诗最后一段，就以《周易》这一核心论点作为诗的指归：“西方与东方 / 太极的两仪 / 宇宙球体的两半 / 阴阳对应的两端 / 可以背离 / 背离只能支离破碎或残缺不全 / 你中有我我中有你 / 交融会诞生崭新的生命 / 交融铸就的慧剑 / 将在宇宙中闪闪发光。”道家讲天地之和、阴阳之和，上述诗中关于东西方文化阴阳之和、刚柔之和等理念，也是诗人基于中华人文积淀提出的现代性、前瞻性预言与刍议。
《周易》是群经之首，是中华民族传统文化的原点。儒佛道包孕的庞大而芜杂的文明宝库，则是中华文明浩如繁星的文化基因。陈彦雄君这一册诗集，要在独特的意象中蕴涵深邃的易学原理，要在个性化的独语中跳荡着普世性的心声，要在平白的现代语言中洋溢出诗性之美，毕竟还是尝试之作，其中艰辛，自有诗人自己明瞭。但愿诗界诸友，共同切磋，互相鼓励，“相偎相依”，协同前行！
A Hand of Cultural Water
—Discussion on The Poetry Collection of Chen Yanxiong
Zheng Mingbiao
A glorious point for Chinese traditional culture is to eliminate the boundary of three relations, material and non-material, alive and non-alive, human being and nature, and to observe and master everything of the world with a kind of macro thinking pattern. Since the emergence of I-Ching , especially conflicts and interactive cooperation of the trio-religions, Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism, numerous poets, who possess acute awareness, usually place themselves in nature. They are getting to know changes of life, heaven and earth through vast time and space. Discussion on Making All Things Equal by Zhuangzi has suggested that, "You have heard the sound of human while not that of earth; you have heard the sound of earth while not that of heaven either." In Chen Yanxiong ' s "Sounds of Nature", the poet has treated that sound of nature is composed by the echoing of countless objects, such as thunder, rainbow, tides, dews, bird ' s singing, falling flowers and so on. "Listen to them for a long time", one will "understand" "the eternal sound of nature". Furthermore, one will, through that "sound of nature", sense the "surging posture", "universe ' s strong, mighty, great tides", "changeable emotions" as well as "round heaven and square, the smooth banks" and even "create heaven that all people share its glory". Or in the poem, "The Moon and Human Being", three lines, "Dialogue between human and the moon /Between wax and wane /Circle year after year" clearly indicate the universe structured by heaven, earth, and human being "bring gospel for all beings ' prosperity". Or, it seems that three concepts of the poem, "Distance", time, space and soul, will cost human being to overcome: "the bounding of kite and string", interactive "worries between white clouds and sea" in nature. In fact, all the phenomena are to hold the blue sky, and under the universe, time, the magic changer, will turn land to sea. Everything will develop to the future. "Stretch the distance of time and then /Come the being of past, present and future". "Distance of soul is harmonious but conflicted watershed" "Overcome soul ' s secret currents", "All will bond together without any obstacles". These three poems regard human being as part of nature, to interact, connect, and integrate, consisting with the life outlook and the worldview that "unity of the self and the objective".
I-Ching includes both the "changeable" and "the unchangeable". Nature is changing all the time yet obeying certain rules and so time, space and soul.
All in the world exists in changes, dependent on and conflicting with others. Two more poems by Chen depict the transformation of time and space, both in "Write a Letter to Yesterday", "Write a letter to yesterday / Console water pine in front of pool/ Circles of growth extend /Sunshine, raindrops /Wind, frost, thunder, lightning /Together, ambition and efforts carry on to grow" and in "Time and Space", "Time has concentrated and crystallized as mission of history /Space has gleaned and evolved as manifesto of the universe." Yijing unifies Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism and Tao dominates heaven, earth and human being. Obviously, these two poems moreover are to explore and clarify the identical structure of heaven and human, the entirety of time and space and the unstoppable changes. Another work is "Drink Loneliness Lonely", "Historical manners of Qin Shi Huang, Han Wu Di, ancestors of Tang and Song" and "Shift of the stars and circle of the sun as before", ups and downs of life, and the hilarious and the lonely in the poem as "Red lights and green wine /The end of songs and dispersion of people afterwards /Return to serenity and purity" will not escape I-Ching ' s philosophical , either "changeable" or "unchangeable". Wise application of the renowned saying by Zen Buddhism, "To see mountain as mountain, to see water as water" in the poem as well indicates the poet has mastered the objective laws about the change and development of nature. In such wide and long universe, life of human being is tiny and transient. The art of mastery an individual ' s life and how to follow the law of nature and universe become the serious topic for individuals. In the poem, "Beyond Life", the poet makes a reflection, "Because of life, thinking exists /Because of exploration, life is everlasting /When we go towards this colorful world /Seeking truth then will lead us to rough expedition", "We have no choices but to step on crest of waves of life /Render a solemn and stirring song of life, passionate reason", "Pass across pride and prejudice, pass across absurdity and material desire" "Loneliness, misunderstanding to hurting torture", and then "beyond life" and to achieve the state that "life in pursuit being immortal". This poem is rightly the poet ' s answer to why life exists.
Several poems from this collection have selected the concept of Yin and Yang from I-Ching and the idea of "karma" of Buddhism, particularly Zen. For example, in "Promise for Clear and Bright", Chen investigates gathering of families among common people in the season of Clear and Bright to meet the "promise across past and present". This festival organizes emotional interaction for human beings from the dual worlds, Yin and Yang and, meanwhile, launches "reflection" and "education" for expounding the principle—"cucumber harvest cucumber, beans harvest beans", so to persuade people to be kind. As for "Wishes", this poem illustrates the missing and meeting of a couple and their determined faith that present existence is the continuum of the previous one. "Heart by heart" in the present existence will ensure that together "go to heaven" in the existence afterwards.
Or in "Barrier", the poet catches many "sound implications" of "the indescribable". Instant difference of one ' s mind can be seen in the "collapse" of the "collision of you and me" as well as the company of "bosom friends" when to "disarm armor". In line with the idea of Zen that all individuals can become a Buddha no matter in high or low class, rich or poor, this poem also transmits a belief that "Drop the cleaver and the butcher than becomes a Buddha" and then to propose an positive attitude carrying the following characteristics, narrow down the "distance", remove the "barrier", enforce "understanding" and abandon "doubts" and to create the "happiness" when bosom friends encounter. Hereby,
Chen filters the negative aspect of both Buddhism and Taoism, "retreating from the social world". In order to solve a hazardous problem in society that people are mutually deceiving each for fame and profits, Chen resorts to the wisdom of Tao De Ching , and writes, "Riding an Ox, Coming Laozi". Under the reminder of " Great kindness, as water, benefit all without conflicts and resistance", he tries to act like literary celebrities, Tao Yuanming, to "pick chrysanthemums under the east hedges" and reach the state as his poem describes, "Vanity fair, literati and officialdom, fight against, how intense /Troubadour, sing and adapt the self into mounts and forests, disappear /Search spiritual space back". To associate the present "new people", he can possess the "tolerance to follow nature" and be "wise, to deal by no action, advanced, born from nature". In terms of "Soul of Bricks (A Group of Poems)", two physical states of the bricks in space as "keep close to" and "keep apart from" are symbolized as "discourses of bricks ' thinking". The poet personifies the "bricks" and thus the elevation of "bricks" is that of human being and then of the entire Chinese, the elevation of wholeness of Chinese personality: "Simple, not luxury, the silent all-love /Consistency of external and internal, endure humiliation for higher mission /Tolerate everything, to be modest /To success that historical gene, kind morality, withhold everything". Various crafts, metaphors, similes and symbols of bricks all originate from the poet ' s visible and invisible exploration of this entity. A quote in The Book of Han . The Biography of Wu Pi goes as, "Clever ones will always listen to the soundless while wise ones will always see the invisible." Here, the poet ' s persistence on delving into where the bricks and walls shall be "soundless" and "invisible", corresponding to the marrow of Chinese traditional culture..
A poem,"Hungry and Thirsty, A Chinese Sturgeon", of this poem touches certain part of discourse of the eastern and western cultures. It takes the image, "A Chinese sturgeon which is hungry and thirsty" and envisions it as to "Search for water domain for self", and then to seek Zhuangzi as the "bosom friend" and generate the emotional state as "Once as well heard sighing of Confucius /Going through thoughts of soaking from Laozi /Humming from that painful, ancient Qu Yuan /Ah, joyfully I was swimming with Goddess, the Luo River". "I am always cruising in the long river of thousand years /Drastically turn into a great dragon, eager for a high leap" but will spontaneously "Fly to another unfamiliar water area /Extract fresh elements /Drip into surging Yangzi River /Countless new thoughts hereby will be born". It can be predicted that the Chinese Dragon in the east, once absorbed the new flavor and nutrition, will appear in the world with new posture. Finally, the most important poem is, "When Western Culture
Collided with Eastern Culture", which mirrors with I-Ching and candle-like lights up the differences, characteristics and present circumstances of both eastern and western cultures, and their prospects that interact and integrate with each other. This poem personifies western and eastern cultures as a couple in deep love as well as to delineate different kinds of natural phenomena with concrete representations. Lines revealing the difference and features of these two cultures are, "When tender East in love with romantic West at first sight / Just as moon on a mid-summer night, radiant with sky of stars /You hold your broad depth /I embrace my serene height". In contrast, lines indicating the melting and reconstruction in the conflicting process between the two cultures are, "When encounter of the tranquil East with the bold West /A piece of fantastic music where high mounts and water flows resonate /Lofty mounts, due to its composure, grand, due to water flows, dynamic /Mighty water flows, due to high mounts, singing and stretching long time backwards /Hold, cling to each other for long" and "Electrical light of sense and sensibility /Crackle in condensed eyesight".
The last stanza of this poem is based on the core idea of I-Ching. Phraseology Biography, "Taiji produces Two Lines, Two Lines produce Four Xiangs (Shapes), Four Xiangs produce Eight Diagrams and Eight Diagrams produce everything":
"West and East /Two Lines of Taiji /Two halves of a cosmic globe /Two poles of the corresponding Yin and Yang /Will deviate from each /Deviation just to make fragmentation /Inside you, I; inside me, you /Interacted fusion the new life born /Invention the sword of wisdom forge /Shining in the universe".
Taoism stresses the harmony between heaven and earth, Yin and Yang. Chen ' s poem contains beliefs about such harmony of east and west similar to that of Yin and Yang and that of the mild and the mighty. Hereby, he raises the modernity, the promising prediction and the modest opinion about Chinese traditional culture based on his own experience over years.
I-Ching is the head of Collected Classics, the starting point of Chinese culture. Such civilizational treasure inborn by Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism is the cultural gene of Chinese civilization. The aims of Chen ' s poetry collection are to internalize the profound principles of I-Ching into unique images, to dance with the universal beats in texts of individual expressions and to display the poetic aestheticism in simple modern language. As it is an experimental work, Chen ' s trial is difficult. He needs supports and suggestions from fellows and peers.