若夫丰约之裁，俯仰之形。因宜适变，曲有微情。或言拙而喻巧，或理朴而辞轻。或袭故而弥新，或沿浊而更清。或览之而必察，或研之而后精。譬犹舞者赴节以投袂，歌者应弦而遣声。是盖轮扁所不得言，故亦非华说之所能精。
Finding Form
LuChi
Knowwhen the work
should be full,
andwhen it should be
compacted.
Knowwhen to life your eyes
and when to scrutinize.
Adaptto occasions as they arise;
permit emotions to be subtle.
Whenthe language is common,
the image must be telling.
Whenthe thinking is clumsy,
the language must move smoothly.
Oldclothes
can be refurbished;
thestream we muddy
soon runs itself clean again.
Onlyafter looking and listening
closely can one make
thesevariations subtleties
work their magic.
Thesleeves of the dancers
move with the melodies;
thesingers’ voices rise
and fall with the music.
P’ienthe Wheelwright
tried to explain it,
but he couldn’t.
Norcan the artificial flowers of the critics
explain it.
