本系列油畫的創作期間，從2021年底〈江雪〉起始，至今年（2025）三月〈旅夜書懷〉作結，斷續三年多；當初執著於「國際網路發表」，必須中英對照，花了不少心思搜尋編輯這十二首詩的英文翻譯，畢竟當時Google翻譯仍處於有點不忍卒睹的狀態。怎料開年未久，AI發展突飛猛進，如今已不輸真人翻譯。不過，既然費心做了，留個紀錄也好，就當作憑弔那個還需要動腦子的年代吧——竟只不過是今年初春時節。世事變化如白駒過隙，更有何人不老。
一月
岑參〈白雪歌送武判官歸京〉
北風卷地白草折，胡天八月即飛雪。忽如一夜春風來，千樹萬樹梨花開。散入珠簾濕羅幕，狐裘不煖錦衾薄。將軍角弓不得控，都護鐵衣冷難著。
瀚海闌干百丈冰，愁雲黲淡萬里凝。中軍置酒飲歸客，胡琴琵琶與羌笛。紛紛暮雪下轅門，風掣紅旗凍不翻。
輪臺東門送君去，去時雪滿天山路。山迴路轉不見君，雪上空留馬行處。
A Song of White Snow in Farewell to Emissary Wu Returning to Capital （by Cen Shen)
North wind scrapes the ground and breaks white grass; Snow flakes fly in Tartar sky on the Eighth month. It is all as sudden as the arrival of spring breezes overnight, Bringing thousands upon thousands of pear trees into bloom. Through the beaded screen snowflakes flit moistening curtains of silk, Making fox fur coats lack of warmth and brocade quilt light for chills. The general fails to draw steadily his bow, And the viceroy can hardly put on his frigid armor.
A vast expanse of desert is covered with ice of a thousand feet, Gloomy clouds hang over ten thousand miles of frozen land. The army chief held a farewell banquet for the homebound colleague, at which exotic instruments were played. Evening snow keeps coming down at the camp gate; Wind tugs at the red flag but it’s too frozen to flutter.
I bid you farewell at the east gate of Luntai Town, The road ahead along Tianshan Mountains is heavy with snow. As the path winds around the mountain I see you no more, Only the prints of your horse hooves left on the snow ground.
二月
韋應物〈滁州西澗〉
獨憐幽草澗邊生，上有黃鸝深樹鳴。春潮帶雨晚來急，野渡無人舟自橫。
“West Brook at Chuzhou” (by Wei Yingwu)
Love the lush grass growing by the side of the brook; Deep in the tree canopy yellow warblers are singing. Spring tides robed in rain, swifter by evening; Unmanned dock in the wild where a boat drifts aslant.
三月
李白〈送孟浩然之廣陵〉
故人西辭黃鶴樓，煙花三月下揚州。孤帆遠影碧空盡，惟見長江天際流。
Seeing Meng Hao-Ran Off from Yellow Crane Tower (by Li Bai)
At Yellow Crane Tower in the west my old friend says farewell; In the mist and flowers of spring he goes down to Yangzhou. His lone sail drifts into distance as a faint figure vanishing in blue sky; All I see is the Yangtze River flowing into the far horizon.
四月
王維〈渭城曲〉
渭城朝雨浥輕塵，客舍青青柳色新。勸君更盡一杯酒，西出陽關無故人。
“Seeing off Yuan Er on Diplomatic Mission to Anxi / A Farewell Song” (by Wang Wei)
Over the Wei City, light dust was laid by the morning drizzle; The hostel looks green in the freshened color of willows. I’d like to offer you one more toast, For there will be no intimate after you go westward out of the border pass.
五月
常建〈題破山寺後禪院〉
清晨入古寺，初日照高林。曲徑通幽處，禪房花木深。山光悅鳥性，潭影空人心。萬籟此俱寂，惟餘鐘磬音。
“A Buddhist Retreat behind Broken-Mountain Temple” (by Chang Jian)
The old temple, Where early sunlight points the tree-tops, My path has wound, through a sheltered hollow; Of boughs and flowers, to a Buddhist retreat. Here birds are alive with mountain-light, And the mind of man touches peace in a pool. And a thousand sounds are quieted, By the breathing of a temple-bell. (Translation by Witter Bynner)
六月
李白〈早發白帝城〉
朝辭白帝彩雲間，千里江陵一日還。兩岸猿聲啼不住，輕舟已過萬重山。
“Setting off Early from White Emperor City” (by Li Bai)
At dawn amid colored clouds I left White Emperor City; Back to Jiang Ling thousand miles away I reach in a day. With Monkeys’ crying along both banks still echoing in my ears, The light boat has carried me past ten thousand ranges of mountains.
七月
李白〈送友人〉
青山橫北郭，白水繞東城。此地一為別，孤蓬萬里征。浮雲游子意，落日故人情。揮手自茲去，蕭蕭班馬鳴。
“A Farewell to a Friend” (by Li Bai)
With a blue line of mountains north of the wall, And east of the city a white curve of water, Here you must leave me and drift away, Like a loosened water-plant hundreds of miles… I shall think of you in a floating cloud; So in the sunset think of me. We wave our hands to say good-bye, And my horse is neighing again and again. (Translation by Witter Bynner)
八月
杜甫〈旅夜書懷〉
細草微風岸，危檣獨夜舟。星垂平野闊，月湧大江流。名豈文章著，官應老病休。飄飄何所似，天地一沙鷗。
Writing of My Feelings on a Traveling Night (by Du Fu)
Breeze brushes over thin grass at shore, A lone boat with tall mast is mooring in the night. Stars suspended over the expanse of the wild plain, The moon surges as the great river flows on. Will fame ever come to a man of letters? Old and ill, I should retire from the official post. What do I look like, drifting on so free? A single gull between heaven and earth.
九月
孟浩然〈過故人莊〉
故人具雞黍，邀我至田家。綠樹村邊合，青山郭外斜。開軒面場圃，把酒話桑麻。待到重陽日，還來就菊花。
“Visiting a Friend’s Farmhouse” (by Meng Hao-Ran)
An old friend prepares chicken and millet, and invites me to his rural home. Green trees surround the village; Blue mountains slant beyond the city wall. The dining hall has its doors wide open towards the courtyard, We drink to and talk about crops, yield and farm life. Let’s await the arrival of Double Ninth Festival, to return here and admire chrysanthemums.
十月
王維〈輞川閒居贈裴秀才迪〉
寒山轉蒼翠，秋水日潺湲。倚杖柴門外，臨風聽暮蟬。渡頭餘落日，墟里上孤煙。復值接輿醉，狂歌五柳前。
“Dedicated to Scholar Pei Di at Wangchuan in Seclusion” (by Wang Wei)
Mountain turns dark blue-green in chilly air, And autumn waters has eased to a murmuring rill. Supported by a walking stick outside my timber gate, I listen to evening cicadas’ chirps while breeze on my face. Over the ferry is the reflection of setting sun light, And over the village rises one single kitchen smoke. Then here comes our tipsy hermit, Singing wildly in front of my five willow trees.
十一月
祖詠〈終南望餘雪〉
終南陰嶺秀，積雪浮雲端。林表明霽色，城中增暮寒。
“Viewing the Snow on the Zhongnan Mountain” (by Zu Yong)
Fair it is the north face of Mt. Zhongnan, Snow-crowned peaks float above the cloud. Sky cleared up and the forest is bright in sunset dyed, in the city the air gets colder at nightfall
十二月
柳宗元〈江雪〉
千山鳥飛絕，萬徑人蹤滅。孤舟簑笠翁，獨釣寒江雪。
“River Snow” (by Liu Zong-Yuan)
A hundred mountains and no bird, A thousand paths without a footprint; A little boat, a bamboo cloak, An old man fishing in the cold river-snow. (Translated by Witter Bynner, 1881-1968)