To Go with Shih K’o’s1 Painting of an Old Man Tasting Vinegar
Huang T’ing-chien (1045–1105)
Old lady Shih, braving acerbity, pokes in her three-foot beak;
old man Shih, vinegar-tasting, face in a hundred wrinkles:
who knows how it feels to scrunch up your shoulders, shivering clear to the bone?
A painting not to be surpassed even by the brush of Master Wu!2
Translated by Burton Watson
Huang T’ing-chien, who became a Presented Scholar in 1067, was a disciple of Su Shih (see selection 56) and shared his interest in Zen Buddhism. Huang, fastidious in his use of language, was accomplished both as a poet and lyricist (see selection 97). He was also one of the most eminent Sung period calligraphers.
1. A tenth-century painter noted for his treatment of humorous and supernatural subjects. The painting, as we know from other sources, actually depicted an elderly couple.
2. The famous T’ang painter Wu Tao-tzu.