On Becoming Fifty, 1836
Ema Saikōexpand_more
Ink on paperexpand_more
Gift of Stephen Addiss and Audrey Yoshiko Seoexpand_more 2013.63.37
Not on Viewexpand_more
Ema Saikō was an outstanding female literatus of her time who was undertaking Chinese studies and arts. She wrote this Chinese-style poem on elegant blue paper with a delicate design of bracken.
As I become half a hundred, I begin to understand past mistakes;
Slowly, slowly, my intentions have been thwarted.
Cranes are tall, ducks short—it is not humans who made them so.
Fish leap, hawks soar—all following the course of nature.
My desires have faded away like spring snow,
Old friends have vanished like stars at dawn.
In the end, there is no use in potions for longevity,
I only love to paint bamboo, its verdure reflected on my robe.
Details
- Title
- On Becoming Fifty
- Artist Life
- 1787 - 1861
- Role
- Calligrapher
- Accession Number
- 2013.63.37
- Curator Approved
This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
Does something look wrong with this image? Let us know
Zoom in on the left to the detail you'd like to save. Click 'Save detail' and wait until the image updates. Right click the image to 'save image as' or copy link, or click the image to open in a new tab.