Tai Qi and Poetry

By Shang Zhen

Itruly love to watch others practicing Tai Qi. One time,in a town square I saw dozens of people practicing Tai Qi. I stayed there, watching them from the beginning until the very end of their session.

Practicing Tai Qi and writing poetry have many things in common. For example, both need a mind at peace that can inspire the practitioners' imagination and talents. Both need concentration,which allows practitioners to fly free between the Earth and the Heaven. Both involve a gentle gesture on the surface yet strength in character. Furthermore, both must be precise yet flexible.

Being firmly grounded means you are equipped with abundant life experiences, and navigating the ethereal realms reveals a deep regard for culture and aesthetics.

A poem is not a product of isolation, but is closely intertwined with worldly details.A poet must be entrenched in the world around them, keenly observing phenomena, honing their skills, building their knowledge, and cultivating their ability to experience epiphany.

I do not believe that a person who lives in isolation, keeping their doors and windows closed to the sights and sounds of the world, will ever write a good poem.

(From Random Notes in Sanyu Tang, The Writers Publishing House. Translation: Jon Gartner)

太極與詩

文/商震

我喜歡看別人打太極拳。一次，在一個廣場看到幾十個人在練太極拳，我從他們開始練，一直看到他們收式結束。

打太極拳和寫詩相通之處很多。比如：要靜。靜，才能讓五臟六腑歸位，才能詩思萬千。要腳下有根，頭上有天；要柔中帶剛，綿里藏針；要密處不透風，疏處可走馬，等等。

腳下有根，是生活的扎實、具體；頭上有天，是文化境界、審美趨向。

寫詩不是孤立的事，它和生活中的林林總總息息相關。生活中的任何一種事物、現象，須知其然亦知其所以然，諳熟了，參透了，必有頓悟，必得詩歌之營養。

永遠不會相信，一個宅在家里、大門不出二門不邁、兩耳不聞窗外事的人，會寫出好詩。

（摘自《三余堂散記》作家出版社）