A Poem about ‘Plum Blossoms’

From a Selection of Ancient Chinese Poems by my Grandfather, Tien Chen

Plum Blossoms by Wang Mian written in the Ming Dynasty —《墨梅》元，王冕

我家洗砚池头树，

Cleaning the head of my brush on the inkstone placed,

朵朵花开淡墨痕。

Every blossomed flower bears pale dark ink.

不要人夸颜色好，

No praise is needed for the blossoms’ plum shades,

只留清气满乾坤。

Across the universe their sweet scent pervades.

This time of year (late March to early April) is perfect for seeing the elegant plum and cherry blossoms. 🌸 For this reason, it is one of my favourite times of year. The differences between plum and cherry blossoms are subtle. Plum blossoms stick to the branches and have round petals. Cherry blossoms have long stems that attach to the branches and have petals with a small split at the end.

I feel that this poem strongly captures what plum blossoms symbolise — perserverance and hope. They represent the ending of Winter and revitalisation in Spring. It is clear that their pale and dark pink colours are admired and their sweet scent cherished by the painting poet.

My grandfather created many paintings featuring blossoms, one of which is presented below. I love how delicate the blossoms look, and the pale and deep crimson colours. The branches appear so naturally painted as if they sway in wind and the bamboo trees further support the representation that the blossoms are resilient.