曇花一現 // ONE NIGHT ONLY

Recolored Chinese-style illustration of the flower commonly known as the Queen of the Night, which are cactus flowers that bloom at night and wilt by morning. The title of the piece, “曇花一現” is found going vertically up to down towards the right of the flower, which is a Chinese saying for something that is “short-lived”.

朋友们，读者们，大家好。Hello, friends and readers. Today I present to you a poem that is almost a year in the making, based off the desert cactus flower known as the Queen of the Night. Famously known for blooming at night and wilting by morning, it spawned the Chinese saying, 昙花一现, an idiom meaning something that is short-lived. Such is the case with this flower, where it fully blooms so beautifully, but only from night to morning before it wilts. Without further delay, please read and ponder, 《曇花一現》，or “One Night Only”.

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曇花一現

初霜夜降時， 
花開見君姿。 
潔如玉溫潤， 
桂香一宵揚。

晨光花已闔， 
此後意難量。 
為何只一宵， 
蕭疏長相藏。

秋去冬亦臨， 
君心永不啟。 
冬盡春又來， 
盼意未曾忘。

豈為一宵影， 
誤會君心意。 
驚鴻過眼傷， 
何處尋真諦。

待他年重開，
花綻莫匆匆。 
長久伴君旁， 
不再只一宵。

山斯文

English Translation:

ONE NIGHT ONLY

by Siwen Shan

It was on the night of the first frost
I first saw you bloom.
Pure as jade,
And enduring as osmanthus.

That morning, you closed up again.
And every night that followed
You stayed closed, drooping, aloof.
Why were you only open for one night?

As autumn changed to winter,
You never opened again.
As winter approached spring,
I never stopped hoping.

Was I only meant
To witness your beauty
For one night only?
Did I misunderstand you?

I hope one day
You will bloom again.
I hope that when you can open up again,
It won't be for one night only.

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I would love to know what this flower and what this poem that this flower that inspired it made you think of.

谢谢大家，下次见。Thank you everyone, see you next time.

Siwen Shan 山斯文 💚