Rengong Liang’s (Qichao Liang) calligraphic couplet - 梁任公書集聯

Qichao Liang, known as Zhuoru, Renfu (courtesy name) and Jen-kung, Yin-ping-tzu, Yin-ping-shih-chu-jen (pseudonyms), was born in Xinhui , Guangdong, China. Liang was a renowned philosopher and political scholar in the late Qing dynasty. He and his mentor, Youwei Kang (1858-1927) were the major leaders of Wuxu Reform or the Hundred Days' Reform. After the establishment of the Republic of China, Liang served several important positions such as a minister of justice and a minister of finance and is opposed to restoration of the emperor. In 1920, Liang decided to quit his political career and devoted himself to intellectual work and education. He gave several lecture tours and taught in different schools, such as Peking University and Nankai University. Liang was a prolific writer. He published poems and novels as well as articles of political theory and philosophy. His works, such as “Chinese Academic History of the Recent 300 Years “ and “Collected Works of Yinbingshi” brought a significant contribution to the study of history and literature of China.梁啟超，字卓如、任甫，號任公、飲冰子，別號飲冰室主人，廣東新會人，中國近代思想家、政治學者，與其師康有為為清朝戊戌變法主要人物。民國建國後，梁啟超曾任司法總長、財政總長並反對帝制的復辟，民國九年 (1920)，梁啟超決定退出政治活動，專心推廣民主政治的研究，致力於思想改革和教育事業，先後任教於北京大學、南開大學等學校。梁啟超著作豐富，出版許多如「飲冰室文集」、「中國近三百年學術史」等膾炙人口作品。The first sentence in this couplet came from Hsiao-piao Liu's (462-521) work. Liang reversed original positions of two words, “spring” and “autumn”. The second sentence is extracted from Yan Jiang’s (444-505) “Farewell Ode”. These two masterpieces were made in Southern dynasties, a period that is not commonly found to be related to Liang's couplet projects. Liang put these two sentences into a couplet and gave it to his friend. Liang practiced calligraphy after 1924. He specialized in standard scripts with a style of the Northern-dynasties stone inscription. In 1927, Liang lost his mentor Kang, Youwei (1858-1927) and his friend Wang Guowei (1877-1927). This couplet seems to reveal his melancholy. After finishing this couplet, Liang became sick and died in 1929. Tse Tsung Chow notes.按秋菊春蘭英華靡絕乃梁劉孝標答劉秣陵詔書中句，此聯春秋字倒誤。明月白露，光陰往來係江淹別賦中語。任公自甲子以後勤於書法，多習北刻楷體莊嚴。嘗集詞聯書贈友好。此獨集南朝語，尚不多見。丁卯一九二七三月康有為病卒，六月王國維自沉，任公感痛逾恆。此聯似畧露情意，隨即入醫院，一年以後即逝世矣。癸丑周策縱識。Spring orchids and autumn chrysanths blossom every year and remain fresh for a long time. Bright moonlight and crystal frosted dew imply changes of four seasons and indicate the passing of time.春菊秋蘭，英華靡絕。明月白露，光陰往來。Preface: dedication to Meicai; Signature: Qichao Liang in the winter of 1927款識: 美才仁兄清屬, 丁卯季冬, 梁啟超.1) Zhi yu zhi shang; 2) Ma ti qiu shui hu wei chun bing; 3) Tse Tsung Chow; 4) Xinhui Liang; 5) Qichao private seal1) 止於至賞; 2) 馬蹄秋水虎尾春冰; 3) 周策縱; 4) 新會梁氏; 5) 啟超私