“This exhibition will explore the twin themes of solitude and togetherness in Chinese art. For more than two thousand years, reclusion—removing oneself from society—has been presented as the ideal condition for mental cultivation and transcending worldly troubles. At the same time, communion with like-minded people has been celebrated as essential to the human experience. This choice, to be alone or to be together, has been central to the lives of thinkers and artists, and Chinese art abounds with images of figures who pursued both paths—as well as those who wove them together in complex and surprising ways. Companions in Solitude, presented in two rotations, will bring together more than 120 works of painting, calligraphy, and decorative arts that illuminate this choice—depictions of why and how people have sought space from the world or attempted to bridge the divide between themselves and others. In the wake of 2020, a year that has isolated us physically but connected us virtually in unprecedented ways, this exploration of premodern Chinese reclusion and communion will invite meditation on the fracture and facture of human connection in our own time.”
該展覽凸顯兩個主題，一個隱居（reclusion），另一個是交往（communion）。縱觀中國曆史，平民子弟出入頭地的主要出路，就是寒窗苦讀，一旦金榜題名，便出仕攝政。文人也盼望在官場謀個一官半職，養家糊口不說，還可以施展自己的才華，實現自己的理想和抱負。同時，一些文人，受道家思想的影響，或官場失意，或看破紅塵，選擇逃避現實，歸隱老家，甚至深山老林。千百年來，陶淵明的《歸去來兮賦》最為人津津樂道。但即使隱居，也需要與誌同道合之士交往，否則會徹底被人遺忘，所以第二個主題也很重要。
如果要翻譯成中文的話，Companions in Solitude是否可以譯成“隱士神交”。
該展覽已於8月14日結束。本人沒有、也沒想去現場參觀，一是懶惰，二是所有作品都在網上，而且配有高清大圖，比現場還清楚。三是展品裏沒有特別有名的作品。
本人對書法情有獨鍾，在網上對每件書法作品都看了一遍。由於主題的限製，大都會博物館藏品中一些很有名的中國書法作品，沒有選入參展。其中最有名的，當屬黃庭堅的草書巨作《廉頗藺相如》。該幅作品氣勢磅礴，實乃黃庭堅草書的精品。但廉頗和藺相如都混跡官場，為朝廷效力，companion 或許有，但沒有 solitude，故不符合這次展覽的主題，忍痛割愛，實屬必然，但很可惜。
在這裏，我挑了一幅書法作品與大家分享。這幅作品是宋玨的行書信劄。
據百度百科，宋玨為風流才子，“書聖畫禪”，其人品高潔，技藝超群，也自為當世士林所賞識。玨工八分書，行、章、草諸體亦佳，字字珠璣，筆法瘦勁有神，端莊凝重，渾然天成。
這幅信劄寫得非常優美，書風頗似趙孟頫。
大都會網站對此書法作品的介紹如下：
“Like the adjacent letter by Song Jue, this one mentions his friend Cheng Jiasui, another painter working in the Songjiang region, who apparently made a painting for the letter’s recipient. Song goes on to say that he is looking forward to showing off his newborn son and asks for some fine silks to have clothes made for the boy. ”
此外，網站還提供了信劄的中文釋文和英文翻譯。
中文釋文：
“續三詩，令人悚然，以杞憂而虞板蕩，彼處堂燕，雀奚知焉。孟陽夜肯發興甚妙，十金買墨，見兄高情厚誼也。玨洗兒已近湯餅之會，翁獨不得寵，臨為歉耳。小婢欲就太夫人丐殘帛剩錦，為此兒製衣，以光賀客，不惟沾染高門秀氣，亦以再世通家為此兒受恩拜賜之始耳。附凟主臣玨奏記。”
英文譯文：
“….. It made me shudder with unnecessary worries over our declining nation. They are people in high places. What could a commoner [like me] know! Mengyang [Cheng Jiasui, 1565–1644] was willing to purchase very expensive ink to paint for you on a whim at night, which shows his lofty mind and deep affection. I am about to hold a birthday party for my son who is turning one month (or one year) old. Please forgive me that you alone have not doted on [met] him. I’d like to send a maid to your mother [wife?] for some leftover silk to make new clothes for my son to brighten up the occasion for the well-wishers. It will not only assume an air of elegance of your eminent family but also initiate the grace you will bestow on him to continue the tie between our two families. Submitted by Jue.”
英文譯文開頭的省略號不是我加的，我隻是原樣照搬。
如果沒有釋文和英文翻譯，這封信劄就如同天書，一般人讀不懂。首先是認字。行草還好一些，如果是純草體，那就更難認了。其次，即使每個字都認出來了，這些字堆放在一起，沒有斷句，沒有標點符號，沒有一定的古文底子，仍然看不懂。
欣賞書法之餘，還順便從信劄中學了不少詞匯，如“杞憂”、“板蕩”、“堂燕”、“洗兒”和“湯餅之會”等。
發現了兩處錯誤。其一，第一個字是“讀”，不是“續”。草體的絞死旁不那麽寫，而言字旁可以。難怪開頭三個字省略了沒有翻譯，因為“續三詩”不知所雲。“讀三詩”能說的通，這三詩具體指什麽，隻有寫信者和收信人明白。
其二，“洗兒”和“湯餅之會”都是指新生嬰兒三日慶生。據（明）程登吉《幼學瓊林》第二卷：“三朝洗兒，曰湯餅之會；周歲試周，曰睟盤之期。” 但英文翻譯誤以為是滿月（或周歲）。
落款中的“附凟主臣”尚沒搞明白。
一個有趣的現象不得不提。在信劄中，宋玨故意把自己的名字縮小，兩個“玨”字，都特別小。這種自謙的做法相當普遍，趙孟頫在信劄裏就經常這樣。不知這種做法是從何朝何代開始的。
最後，附上趙孟頫的行草書《惠竹帖》，該帖又稱《明遠提舉帖》。一是可以比較一下宋玨和趙孟頫的書風。二是證實一下書者有意把自己的名字寫小這一現象。
趙孟頫行草書冊頁《惠竹帖》（疑），又稱《明遠提舉帖》，元黃紙本，24×28厘米，台灣陳氏藏。《惠竹帖》爲緻明遠信劄，與《靜心帖》書風接近，且同收錄於《趙孟頫六帖冊》，故推測亦約作於江浙任上。
【釋文】
孟頫頓首。明遠提舉賢弟：達觀來，得所惠書，承惠竹，甚濟所乏，知感知感。香爐既不可得，且當置之。草草數字，具複，未既欲言。不宣。
三月八日，孟頫上覆。
2022年8月16日，匆匆
