Chao Meng-fu (1254–1322)
This wondrous art in the human realm
rivals nature’s skill:
concocting formulas, igniting lanterns,
turning night to day!
Willow catkins flutter downwards,
carpeting earth in white;
peach blossom petals drop and scatter,
covering courtyards with red.
Bursting, spreading, scintillating—
just like stars that fall;
bubbling, boiling, roaring, blasting—
like warfare by fire!
Some other night, again you will unfurl brocade of flowers:
no need to grieve that they have scattered in the eastern wind.
Translated by Jonathan Chaves
A master poet, painter, and calligrapher, Chao Meng-fu set new standards in all these fields. He was a descendant of the Sung imperial family. His willingness to serve the Yüan government and subsequent rise to eminence led to an uncertainty about his reputation in later Chinese historiography.