1

      On New Year's Eve, before putting away my writing tools, I reread the linked poem  

“ Where there are flowers; do butterflies not fly?” 

(by Lin Zi - Thierry - Wang Bo - Jia Yu‘s version)

on “Spring Poems Flutter” . 

Where flowers be; do butterflies not fly? (Lin Zi)

By the pavilion, a maiden’s grace. (Thierry)

Peach blossoms; they envy your subtle charm. (Wang Bo)

The unfettered spring; a copious joy.  (Jia Yu)

哪有花香蝶不来？（林子）

何家闺秀倚亭台？（嘉一）

红桃妒你三分媚    （王波）

她亦怜桃自在开    （家昱）

      This was a practice in the class chat group after “Spring Willow.” At that time, Teacher Lin Zi had already released 56 topics for “Spring Poems Flutter”.  

       Why did we choose the 29th topic for our group practice? The first lines are usually peaceful and objective descriptions of scenery. “Flowers are fragrant, butterflies arrive,” this is a common pattern for the first line. But Teacher Lin Zi starts with  “Where flowers be; do butterflies not fly?” This is a conclusion, a personal opinion, decisive, leaving no room for argument, no way back! I think it was this dramatic tension that attracted me. 

          Yes, let's give it a try.

2

      This emotional element is created by the sentence structure of “Where there are - not.” Since the opening is so passionate and excited, it's difficult to know how to continue with the second line. Is this why everyone held back for the second line?

       The first line hung in the group for half a day, and it wasn't until 1 pm that Wang Bo finally added a line: “A quiet garden, I wander around." The meter is correct, but it doesn't really carry the momentum of the first line.

      Before class at 2 pm, I came up with a line to fill the gap: “By the pavilion, a maiden’s grace." This is the second idea in the poem. If you remember, this is the second pattern of “continuation” I mentioned before. The first pattern is to follow the same line of thought and continue to delve deeper. The second pattern is to abruptly cut off the first idea and introduce another parallel concept.

        It's a bit like a patchwork quilt, jarring yet unified. Of course, this approach only allows the poem to continue for now. The poem's theme and the rationality of the sentence arrangement still need to be addressed in the third and fourth lines.

      That day, I had a busy schedule from 8:30 am to 7 pm. At 9 pm, I saw four more options for the second line in the group.

         Here they are:

2a By the pavilion, a maiden’s grace.

2b A riot of colours, for whom they bloom? 

2c What tender care doth a gardener bestow?

2d Plum, orchid, bamboo, chrysanthemum: who stands tall? 

2e Along with the breeze, we beckon spring. 

1    哪有花香蝶不来？

2a 何家闺秀倚亭台？

2b 千红万紫为谁开？ 

2c 多情园主细心栽     

2d 梅兰竹菊孰为魁？

2e 春风和暖共追陪     

       Looking back, I see the shortcomings. I wrote my comments in the notes for everyone's reference……

2a By the pavilion, a maiden’s grace.

(Boldly paints a different picture.)

2b A riot of colours, for whom they bloom? 

(A riot of colours, awkward!)

2c What tender care doth a gardener bestow?

(Too direct. It says affectionate, but it's actually heartless!)

2d Plum, orchid, bamboo, chrysanthemum: who stands tall? 

(Attempts to introduce a new direction, but a master is needed to complete it.)

2e Along with the breeze, we beckon spring. 

(Smooth, a promising second line.)

3

      Before 6 pm, Ya Chan and Wang Bo added the third lines, respectively:

1 Where flowers be; do butterflies not fly? (Lin Zi)

2 By the pavilion, a maiden’s grace. (Thierry)

3a Elegance in step; her artistic flair. (Wang Bo)

3b Whence boat departs, no more a word. (Ya Chan)

3c Peach blossoms; they envy your subtle charm. (Wang Bo)

1 哪有花香蝶不来？（林子）

2 何家闺秀倚亭台？（嘉一）

3a 棋琴书画才情富（王波）   

3b 客舟一去音书杳（雅婵）   

3c 红桃妒你三分媚（王波）   

      Of the three, I think 3a is just a description, enriching the image of the girl in the second line, while 3b and 3c created a new angle to the poem. In comparison, the guest boat seems a bit distant, and the plot is more traditional. The peach blossoms and beauty connect more closely to the first and second lines. So, I picked 3c as the 3rd line.

4

      In my discussion in the second section, I mentioned, “The patchwork quilt approach only allows the poem to continue for now. The poem's theme and the rationality of the sentence arrangement still need to be addressed in the third and fourth lines…...”

       The next day's continuation of the quatrain seemed to have no good progress or breakthrough. When you're at your wit's end, discussing with different literary friends and seeking external help is one way. I sent the first three lines I had written to Teacher Zhang Jia Yu, and he gave us the fourth line within an hour.

    Teacher Zhang's fourth line, while seemingly ordinary, is thought-provoking upon closer reading. He tactfully blended the content of the previous three lines and brought in new thoughts. At that moment, I knew I hadn't abandoned the task, and I could finally submit it as our new year present.

         The complete poem is as follows:

“Spring Poems Flutter” 

Where flowers be; do butterflies not fly? (Lin Zi)

By the pavilion, a maiden’s grace. (Thierry)

Peach blossoms; they envy your subtle charm. (Wang Bo)

The unfettered spring; a copious joy.  (Jia Yu)

哪有花香蝶不来？（林子）

何家闺秀倚亭台？（嘉一）

红桃妒你三分媚    （王波）

她亦怜桃自在开    （家昱）

      Now, reading the poem, the plot unfolds like a detective novel:

      First line: Flower fragrance, attracting butterflies -->

      Second line: A Pavilion, a lady. Is the lady the flower? Or is she the butterfly? -->

      Third line: A new element is introduced: peach blossoms. Do the peach blossoms envy the lady? -->

      Fourth line: Yet she also loves the peach blossom. Who is she? Is she the girl from before?

       If she's the one, she's now having a conversation with the peach blossom. If this does not refer to the peach blossom, does it suggest another plant in the garden, like a plum or apricot?  If so, the interaction in the garden is even more lively. 

    Free blooming, who is it? The graceful girl? The peach blossom? Or another flower?  

          A stroke of genius, it truly is a garden full of spring!

 

5   Epilogue

      Thank you for the combined efforts. These few days of activities have been a valuable lesson for us. 

         It's late now for the New Year.  As I packed my bag, it was just in time for the New Year Celebration...…