A One-Month Summary, Farewell to the Forum, Revealing My Previous Aliases and the Truth About the Japanese Couplet

[Girl Who Likes Mathematics] posted on 2003-07-09 15:10:36

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From June 9th to today is exactly one month, and it's time to leave. If I offended any moderators or netizens during this time, I apologize here in advance. But first, I must reveal the truth about that Japanese couplet. Please look at this record:
Username: JapanJapanJapanJapanJapanJapanJapan
Registration date: 2003-05-31

This was one of the aliases I used. I came up with that first line of the couplet while playing in Rizhao. I also came up with the second line at the same time, and posted them on different websites for fun. On June 1st, I posted it on the China-Japan forum, and at the time I even accidentally reversed the phrase "shine over all." All of this can be verified -- the records are still there. The moderator can confirm this, as I used the same email for all my registrations. At the time, it was purely for fun; I just hoped to remind all Chinese people to cherish their own culture. I never expected that the day before yesterday, someone on Shenshui reposted it from a Singaporean newspaper, and suddenly the whole world knew. The internet today is truly terrifying. My couplet: "From the East the sun of Japan rises, shining over the Four Countries and Nine Provinces; Dogen returns to emptiness and enlightenment, penetrating Yunmen and Fayan." It was designed along the lines of "Three lights: sun, moon, stars; four poems: Feng, Ya, Song" -- entirely out of respect for culture. I never anticipated things would turn out this way. It seems I underestimated the power of the internet. These past two days, I've been teasing everyone like squeezing toothpaste, purely hoping to introduce more knowledge about couplets. So I hereby solemnly declare: this matter ends here. Stop playing with it. If not for that repost the day before yesterday, I wouldn't have wanted to bring this up again. "From the East the sun of Japan rises, shining over the Four Countries and Nine Provinces; Dogen returns to emptiness and enlightenment, penetrating Yunmen and Fayan" carries the same meaning as "Three lights: sun, moon, stars; four poems: Feng, Ya, Song" -- that culture triumphs over military force. It is also a reminder to Japan: even if you try tricks with military force, Chinese culture will ultimately prevail over you. Another original intention of this matter was to remind all Chinese people to treasure their own culture -- this is the ultimate driving force behind the Chinese nation's prosperity.

As for the alias I used on this forum last month, I believe many people already know. Think about it -- during SARS, what was the one thing people were most afraid of others doing? Finally, as per tradition, I'll bid farewell with the longest ci lyric form, "Ying Ti Xu" (Oriole's Cry Prelude):

Swallows return beneath old eaves, calling fresh clear dawns to turn and look.
Thin light drags on, scraping shadows into streaming haze, beading drop by drop into pure dew.
Goose-yellow tender, jade branches burst green; faint fragrance secretly follows the wind-strings in dance.
Illusory purple drifts, red ripples, in trance-like haze I seem to hear whispered words.

Severed hair still tangles the heart, thirty years of butterfly dreams, where carriage dust rises in chaos.
At Yichun Courtyard, smiling faces welcome pleasure, long used to idle men and resentful women.
Fearing dawn and dusk, leaning alone on carved railings, still no tears, only a withered soul left empty.
The jade brazier cold, vermilion curtains half rolled, sudden light mist arrives.

At Blue Bridge the waters are old, boats lie crosswise on the far bank, distant hills wear pale snow.
Again before my eyes, young peach blossoms blaze, teasing with color and flaunting their hues,
mixed scents divide and gather, like those years when we met.
As slanting sunlight dies, a lonely sail slips inward; in blank sorrow where can longing rest?
Suddenly I wake, fourfold emerald fills the sky with flying plumes.
A few yellow clouds whirl into ten thousand thunder-running horses, red dust smothering the whole heaven.

Spring chill hangs with the moon, wine warms the long night, yet at fourth watch rain is added.
Drop by drop, by the west window, impossible to remain still.
Holding candlelight before the screen, fragrant snow veining blue, drunken plum crossing white silk.
Vaguely touchable, lotus-heart secrets, a jade zither leaves stone-like echoes distant and dim.
As if hearing again old lines of yearning.
In the eastern corner, hidden pale light slips back; hurriedly I fix my fading makeup as the guest calls me in.