Ninth Month

His contemporaries regarded Gion Nankai as the best Chinese-style poets of his time. Nankai gradually began painting in the literati style (nanga) and became one of the most significant artists for the establishment of nanga in Japan. This is amongst Nankai’s smallest extant work of calligraphy. Its scale and tight spacing give it a quiet intimacy that invites the viewer to pause and contemplate. The brushwork is energetic and precise. The extended vertical elements of seki 節 (‘season’) and kaze 風 (‘wind’) in the center column are not merely for decorative effect; the extra space they require conveys a shift in the rhythm of the poem. 九月東籬色　清佳家是 / 黄　南陽瓊泡酒　太漱鶴 / 垂裳　節挟風霜烈　思 / 含雨露香　更起坤土質 / 千歳照金寿 Ninth month: the color by the eastern hedge / Is the most pure beauty of yellow. / In the setting sun, magnificent wine foams up; / With this rich drink, I can watch cranes lower their robes. / In a season caught between wind and severe frost, / Cherishing the scent of rain and dew, / Their longevity comes from the substance of the earth— / For a thousand years, their golden petals will shine. (Trans. Stephen Addiss)