Page:The Spirit of the Chinese People.djvu/154

 written Chinese is a language only for the use of really educated people. In short, written Chinese, classical Chinese is difficult because it is the language of really educated people and real education is a difficult thing but as the Greek proverb says, "all beautiful things are difficult."

But before I conclude, let me here give another specimen of written Chinese to illustrate what I mean by simplicity and depth of feeling which is to be found even in the Classica Minora, literature written in official uniform Chinese. It is a poem of four lines by a modern poet written on New year's eve. The words in Chinese are:—

which, translated word for word, mean:—

Don't say home poor pass year hard, North wind has blown many times cold, Next year peach willow hall front trees Pay-back you spring light full eyes see.

A free translation would be something like this:

TO MY WIFE. Fret not,—though poor we yet can pass the year; Let the north wind blow ne'er so chill and drear, Next year when peach and willow are in bloom, You'll yet see Spring and sunlight in our home.