#020: “Be Water, my friends” / 「化為水吧，朋友」

Natural and unconstrained

The image of the drizzling rain in the multicoloured forest in autumn always reminds me of a phrase, “xiāo sǎ xì yǔ/(瀟灑細雨).” Here, the word “xiāo sǎ (瀟灑)” means they way that the rain falls. When being used to describe a demeanor or style, it refers to the type of behavior or appearance characterized by a sense of ease, grace, and elegance.

「不知湘雨來，瀟灑在幽林。」
---韋應物《夏夜憶盧嵩》

瀟灑

秋天的毛毛雨落在紅黃綠三色交錯的森林中的情境總讓讓我想到了「瀟灑細雨」的「瀟灑」，這裡的「瀟灑」說的是雨落下的樣子。用來形容神態舉止或是風格時，說的就是一種帶著從容、優美和優雅特徵的行為或是外表。

“Not knowing that the rain was
Falling gracefully in the deep and dense forest.”
-Recalling Lusong in Summer Night by Wei Yingwu
(self-translation)

Verandas and showers

When I am walking outside in the pouring rain, I cannot help but think of the verandas in Taiwan. They are like corridors, a kind of public space between the pedestrians and the shops or buildings. It is also called “tîng-á-kha (亭仔腳)” in Taiwanese. Luckily, the rain in the Netherlands are mostly showers, which come and go quickly. All you have to do is to find a shelter from the rain, and wait until it stops. Then ,off you go again. Though in Taiwan, the rain can go on and on especially in the seasons full of typhoons, it is better to go back home as soon as possible.

騎樓與陣雨

在大雨中走著時，便想起台灣的騎樓來了。騎樓像是一種走廊，介於人行道和商店或是建築之間的公共空間，台語叫作亭仔腳（tîng-á-kha）。還好荷蘭的陣雨來得快去得也快，所以有時候找個地方躲躲雨，雨停了再重新出發就可以了。不過，在台灣，尤其是在颱風季節，雨下個沒完沒了，能早點回去就早點回去。

「好雨知時節」

「好雨知時節，當春乃發生。隨風潛入夜，潤物細無聲。」
—杜甫《春夜喜雨》：

“Good rain knows its season”

Good rain knows its season,
Emerging timely in spring.
Along with wind it creeps into the night,
Nourishing all living things lightly and silently.
— by Du Fu (self-translation)

“Be water, my friends.”

A good martial artist is like water. Why? Because water is insubstantial. By that, you can't grab it, you can't punch and hurt it , so be soft like water and flexible. Empty your mind. Be formless, shapeless like water. You put water in a cup, it becomes the cup.You put water in a bottle, it becomes the bottle. You put water in a teapot , it becomes the teapot. Water can flow , creep, drip, or crash. Be water, my friends!
—Bruce Lee

「化為水吧，朋友」

「好的武術家就像水一樣。為什麼呢？因為水無形，如此一來，抓不住，打不著，傷不了。因此，如水一般柔軟，如水一般靈活吧。把心淨空，如水一般化為無形。把水倒進杯裡，你就變成杯子。把水倒進瓶子裡，你就變成瓶子。把水倒進茶壺裡，便成了茶壺。水可流動，可悄悄潛入，可滴落，可撞擊。朋友，化為水吧。」（自譯）
—李小龍

沈澱

《試驗——之一》
他們說　在水中放進
一塊小小的明礬
就能沈澱出　所有的
渣滓
那麼　如果
如果在我們的心中放進
一首詩
是不是　也可以
沈澱出所有的　昨日
—選自《席慕容．世紀詩選》

To precipitate

Experiments—one
They said that if in the water
You put a tiny piece of potassium alum,
It could precipitate all the residue
And then, if
If in our heart
We put a poem
Can it form a sediment of
All the yesterdays
—by Hsi Muren （self-translation)
《席慕蓉: 世紀詩選》爾雅出版社有限公司, 出版日期2000/04/30
(ISBN13 / 9789576392962)

Wall poem by Jan Wolkers

The memory
It is so long ago
That it must have been forgotten.
It is so fresh
As a footstep on the grass,
As smoke that drifted away from an open window,
Dew that dripped along the crops
Through the earth and the dust.
A thought that was no longer there.
—Jan Wolkers (1925-2007)

(self-translation)