The mason of Duanzhou has marvel-doing hands,
Whetting his knife to carve blue clouds, aloft he stands.
He grinds the stone in order to make an inkwell;
Violet flowers look dim like cold blood shed pell-mell.
Black flowers seem like spring at noon behind the screen;
The pine-soot ink steeped in water smells like musk keen.
Smooth, water-proof, flat and heavy, it stands steadfast;
Like autumn bright its color, rain or shine, will last.
Your brush will make no noise when on paper you write.
Could the inkstone of Confucius give such delight?
Original Poem:
「杨生青花紫石砚歌」
李贺
端州石工巧如神，踏天磨刀割紫云。
傭刓抱水含满唇，暗洒苌弘冷血痕。
纱帷昼暖墨花春，轻沤漂沫松麝薰。
干腻薄重立脚匀，数寸光秋无日昏。
圆毫促点声静新：孔砚宽硕何足云！
Interpretation:
This poem uses romantic similes and delicate strokes to describe the scene of stone quarrying, inkstone making and the exquisite blue and purple stone inkstone made.
The first two lines: the craftsmanship of Duanzhou stone workers is really dexterous as God, sharpening knives and quarrying stones on the top of the mountain, as if their feet were stepping on the green sky and cutting purple clouds.
At the beginning of the poem, the poem dedicates the praise to the Duanzhou stoneworkers, the makers of the blue and purple stone inkstone, saying that they have god-like skills. Next, the labor of the quarrymen is depicted with magical colored brushes. The quarry workers operate in the kind of water-soaked environment below the cavern, not ascending high mountains but descending to the bottom of the cave, treading the watery sky. The light flickers on the water surface, while the reflection of the rocks is reflected in the water surface, which is like a canopy, and the reflection is like condensed clouds.
The third and fourth sentences: the ink stone is sharpened evenly, injected with water, like full lips, the ink stone is patterned as if carambola's blue blood marks.
Said to grind the stone neatly, carved on the stone surface molding, write grinding and carving stone inkstone, the craftsmanship of the exquisite.
The fifth and sixth sentences: the daytime warmth in the screen tent, grinding ink flowers add spring, light ink bubbles and floating ink foam exudes the fragrance of pine musk.
I wrote that I placed the inkstone in my study and tried out the ink when the weather was warm. Not much water was used to test the ink, and with a few light grinds, the fragrance of the ink already filled the room.
Seventh and eighth sentences: ink dry and moist thick and thin, ink feet are uniform and stable, a small ink stone in the ink like the autumn sky as bright and clean, not half a bit turbid muddy.
This inkstone, the stone is not seepage but fine and moist, the inkstone body is flat and solid and stable, excellent quality. So when grinding ink, the foot of the ink stone is close to the case, not sideways, not leaning, grinding ink on that, smooth and even. The color of the ink is bright and clean, without the slightest bit of dimness or haziness.
The last two lines: dipping the tip of the pen into the ink flower makes a subtle, refreshing sound, what is there to praise about that big, thick hole inkstone!
It says that the pen becomes round and full after dipping into the ink, the inkstone doesn't hurt the pen's hair, and when you pick up the pen to point and draw, there is a slight, fine, quiet, fresh sound on the paper, not that the inkstone has a sound. This line is written from ink to pen, but it still boils down to the beauty of writing inkstone.
The whole poem has an open mood, vivid images, marvelous phrases, and pure diction, showing the beauty of the blue and purple stone inkstone very soundly.
Poem translator:
Xu Yuan-chong (许渊冲)
About the poet:
Li He (李贺), circa 790 - 817, was a native of Luoyang, Henan Province, and a Romantic poet of the Middle Tang Dynasty.
