花甲年華惜光陰，餘暇恐少不亂花；
閒事不惹養心靜，但望啟蒙日漸增。
跋
年過五十，心境轉變。年近花甲，知時無多。真純佛事，一心專注。其餘攀緣，能省即省。
二○○六年三月十三日
養和齋 於加州
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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_兩篇詩作翰墨：花甲年華、睡佛醒醒
As requested by some disciples, two poems are written in calligraphy.
All related files attached.
應一些弟子們的提請，兩篇詩作已手書成。
所有相關檔案附呈。
May all beings attain Enlightenment soon!
願一切眾生早日成佛！
Yutang
鈺堂
For Chinese readers:
給中文讀者：
The title of this poem is kind of interesting because usually people use the term 花樣年華, flower-like age, to describe youthfulness, and here with just one word changed it conveys a rather different sentiment.
這詩的標題是很有意思的，因為通常人們都使用「花樣年華」來描述青春年華，而在這兒僅一個字的轉換就傳達了相當不同的心境。
The second phrase 餘暇恐少不亂花 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「餘暇恐少不亂花」，以花字作結尾，通常這是意謂「花朵」，但在這裡是一個動詞，表「花費」。所以第一句的開始和第二句的結尾都用同一個字。
The last phrase is read as 但望 啟蒙 日漸增 means Only hope that
enlightenment activities will increase daily. Nevertheless, if one
reads it as 但望 啟蒙日 漸增, 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.
最後一句讀成「但望 啟蒙 日漸增」，其意為：「但願啟蒙的事業能逐日增長」。然而，如果你讀成「但望 啟蒙日 漸增,」的話，它的意思就成為：「只希望啟蒙的日子能逐漸增長」。因此它也包含希望從事法務活動的生命的延長。我在寫完並將之傳給大家後，才領會到第二個讀法。有兩種讀法的可能是在有些中國文學作品中可以找到的微妙特色。
Attain Enlightenment Soon!
祝早成佛！
Yutang
鈺堂
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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