A Drawing of Pine and Bamboo (by Tang Yin)

 Drawing of Pine and Bamboo

 

Tang Yin

 

A brief banquet seated

With birdsong for musical score

I could inscribe my whole life

This way from my heart’s core

 

Yes, my whole life  

Could surely pass this way

With pine and bamboo together

In simple harmony

松竹图

唐寅

 

促席坐鸣琴

写我平生心

 

平生固如此

松竹谐素音

I wonder if this a poem about making or looking at a piece of art.  Remember that Tang Yin was both a poet and a painter and as a result many of his poems were inscribed in his own hand directly alongside one of his paintings. In either case, I wish I could find the image that inspired this poem, but all I could find with my online searching was this drawing of pine and bamboo made at a much later date, I believe, but nonetheless showing pine and bamboo in harmony.