花甲年华 林钰堂
花甲年华惜光阴，余暇恐少不乱花；
闲事不惹养心静，但望启蒙日渐增。
跋
年过五十，心境转变。年近花甲，知时无多。真纯佛事，一心专注。其余攀缘，能省即省。
二○○六年三月十三日
养和斋 于加州
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----- Original Message -----
From: "Yutang Lin"
To: "Dharma Friends"
Sent: Tuesday, November 13, 2007 9:01 AM
Subject: Two Poems in Calligraphy_两篇诗作翰墨：花甲年华、睡佛醒醒
As requested by some disciples, two poems are written in calligraphy.
All related files attached.
应一些弟子们的提请，两篇诗作已手书成。
所有相关档案附呈。
May all beings attain Enlightenment soon!
愿一切众生早日成佛！
Yutang
钰堂
For Chinese readers:
给中文读者：
The title of this poem is kind of interesting because usually people use the term 花样年华, flower-like age, to describe youthfulness, and here with just one word changed it conveys a rather different sentiment.
这诗的标题是很有意思的，因为通常人们都使用“花样年华”来描述青春年华，而在这儿仅一个字的转换就传达了相当不同的心境。
The second phrase 余暇恐少不乱花 ends with the word Hua, which has
the usual meaning of flower, but here as a verb, it means to spend.
So the first phrase begins and the second phrase ends with the same
character.
在第二句中的“余暇恐少不乱花”，以花字作结尾，通常这是意谓“花朵”，但在这里是一个动词，表“花费”。所以第一句的开始和第二句的结尾都用同一个字。
The last phrase is read as 但望 启蒙 日渐增 means Only hope that
enlightenment activities will increase daily. Nevertheless, if one
reads it as 但望 启蒙日 渐增, it then means Only wish that days of
enlightenment activities will gradually increase. Thus it also
contains a wish for longer life of Dharma activities. I comprehended
this second reading only after I had done it and sent it out to all
of you. The possibility of two readings is a subtle character found
in some Chinese literature.
最后一句读成“但望 启蒙 日渐增”，其意为：“但愿启蒙的事业能逐日增长”。然而，如果你读成“但望 启蒙日 渐增,”的话，它的意思就成为：“只希望启蒙的日子能逐渐增长”。因此它也包含希望从事法务活动的生命的延长。我在写完并将之传给大家后，才领会到第二个读法。有两种读法的可能是在有些中国文学作品中可以找到的微妙特色。
Attain Enlightenment Soon!
祝早成佛！
Yutang
钰堂
Flower-First Age Yutang Lin
At Flower-First age one treasures time on one's hand.
The remaining hours may be scarce, not to be wasted.
Refrain from casual matters to nurture inner tranquility.
Only hope to see enlightenment activities spread daily.
Comments:
The Chinese count the nine months in the womb as the first year of one's age. Consequently, at age 59 as westerners count it, one is considered 60 years old. For this age 60, the Chinese have a special name Hua Jia, that means a full cycle of the Chinese way of naming years, and I translated it literally as Flower-First.
Passing age 50 the state of mind made some turns. As one's age approaches Flower-First, one realizes that the remaining time is scarce. To pure and genuine Dharma activities I devote myself wholeheartedly. As to other engagements I decline as much as I can.
Written in Chinese and translated on March 13, 2006
El Cerrito, California
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