Orchids in the Secluded Valley (1)

• The orchids are in full bloom, emitting a delightful fragrance.
• Surrounded by fragrances, its scent is noble and persistent.
• Even if no one plucks it to wear it, it does not touch them.
• Day after day, year after year, I travel through many countries.
• King Wen once dreamed of the bear. How splendid is the Wei River. (2)
• If a sage king were to pick and wear the orchid, its elegant fragrance would be so dazzlingly brilliant.
• Under the heavy icy snow, the orchid quietly nourishes its buds.
• If a gentleman is like the orchid and knows how to uphold virtue in the face of adversity, then future generations will surely prosper. (3)

Explanation:

(1). An orchid in a secluded valley - a metaphor for a gentleman's integrity

(2). Later, by the Wei River, King Wen met the wise minister Jiang Ziya, whose second name was 'Flying Bear'. The eight-hundred-year Zhou Dynasty(1046-256 v.Chr.), founded by King Wen and Jiang Ziya, is as grand as the Wei River.

(3). Precisely because the buds of the orchid have survived frost and cold, the fragrance of the orchid has become the fragrance of kings, and if a gentleman can keep its integrity under hardship, then their descendants will be blessed.

Background and understanding

It is said that "Orchids in the Secluded Valley" is a poem written by Confucius on his travels in many countries to spread his theory. At that time, none of the kings accepted his ideas. He praises the orchid for its "royal fragrance", calling it "the most fragrant of flowers". Confucius used the orchid as a metaphor for himself. He longed for a holy king who would cherish him and spread the ideas of Confucianism,  but also insisted on noble integrity without fear of neglect and hardship.

2022 Int'l Chinese Vocal Competition, Female Division Silver Award Winner: Jingjing Xu: