Manual of the Mustard Seed Garden, Volume 3

Pages 5–6

Beyond the self, wind and mist circle the ancient temple,

original: "身外風煙古寺廻". This line evokes a sense of spiritual detachment, where the natural elements of wind and mist surround a secluded temple, separating it from the mundane world.

A single sail hangs low as the sunset sinks.

original: "半帆低挂夕陽舂". The word "舂" (chōng) literally means to pound grain, but in classical Chinese poetry, "sunset pounding" is a vivid metaphor for the sun dropping behind the horizon or the mountains.

The colors of the river and sky enter the tip of the brush;

original: "江天物色一入管處". This describes the artist's process of capturing the vast atmosphere of nature within the small, controlled space of the brush.

Wild crabapple flowers bloom by themselves,

leaving half their beauty for the world to behold.

Great

Written by Shen Xiu

original: "沈修" (Shen Xiu). Shen Xiu was a Qing Dynasty figure associated with the production or curation of these painting manuals.

at the same time as the Old Man of Shijie

original: "石界翁" (Shijie Weng), a pseudonym for an artist or scholar. The text suggests a collaborative or shared moment of inspiration in the region of Zuili.

in the ancient land of Zuili.

Zuili檇李: An ancient name for the area around Jiaxing in Zhejiang province, a region famous for its scholars and painters during the Ming and Qing dynasties.