Page 108 - Bonhams Scholars Art and Instruments Hong Kong December 2, 2021

Albert Leung (b.1961), known as Lin Xi, is a prolific and award-
winning lyricist and writer based in Hong Kong. He has written over
3,500 song lyrics since the 1980s. With great admiration of music in
Chinese culture, Lin created these beautiful calligraphies exclusively for
Bonhams Elegant Gatherings: The Social Art of Chinese Scholars sale.

林夕，1961年生，本名梁偉文， 生於香港，著名詞人。1980年代中期以
來，眾多耳熟能詳的歌曲皆出自林夕筆下。本場五件書法作品為林夕先
生在一年時間内再次為邦瀚斯「雅襍：中國文人社交藝術」特別創作。

Preface by Lin Xi
It is all because Wang Xizhi's ‘Preface to the Orchid Pavilion’ was so The ancients liked to gift calligraphy to friends, and exchange letters in
eye-catching that he captured the scenes of the elegant gathering brush and ink, each of which has been handed down as a social testa-
of literati at the time but forgot the game of ‘floating cups’: that is, ment of extremely high artistry. However, the letter written to the feel-
wherever the cup flows in the stream, the person nearest has to raise ings, thoughts, and comprehensions of tens of thousands of people, is
a toast and compose a line of poetry. Reciting poems and strumming it not as the pop song goes, a ‘letter to the most familiar stranger’?
the qin in social gatherings, did not begin in the Eastern Jin dynasty
with ‘Preface to the Orchid Pavilion’. In my collection there is a Han I included my own life experience in my lyrics, so that the meaning
dynasty pottery incense burner with two figures playing the qin. This is of the words would flow into the hearts and souls of the audience. If
a connection with the ancients that transcends time and space. In the this is the case, these little literati will have been engaged in a spiritual
late Ming and early Qing period, so I have heard, Qian Qianyi held a lit- friendship with the public that transcends distance.
erary gathering for his courtesan Liu Rushi which was very impressive.
I idolise Su Shi as well as Tao Yuanming's 109 poems. Indeed, many of
Nowadays, the popular music scene is the contemporary version of my lyrics come from Su Shi and his writings, which are also a dialogue
the ‘floating cups’ game, where the words of the song flow between across time and space. If only Su Shi knew, he might laugh at me for
people on social media platforms. There isn’t much difference between calling him a friend.
those literati and singers, who touch the hearts of people through
communication and social interaction.

前言/林夕
都怪王羲之《蘭亭集序》太矚目，搶了當時文人雅聚的鏡頭，都忘了「流 古人喜以書法贈友之餘，尺牘一筆一墨，流傳下來皆為藝術含量極高的
觴曲水」這社交遊戲：水流到哪裡，誰就舉杯詠詩。以詩詞歌賦，彈琴交 社交見證。然則一詞寫給千千萬萬人的所感所想所思所悟，能得其情
友，非始於東晉《蘭亭集會》，我就收藏了一座鑄有二人撫琴對坐畫面的 者，何嘗不是一封封「給最熟悉的陌生人的信」。
漢代博山爐，這也是跟古人超越時空的交集吧。到明末清初，只為柳如
是，如是我聞，錢謙益主辦的詩詞交流盛會，印象殊深。 我把此生體悟留給了歌詞，聽眾讀者把詞意流進了內心，心靈把體悟實
踐於生活，倘能如此，我這小文人即與社會大眾一直進行一場又一場超
到如今，流行音樂平台正是當代版的流觴曲水，歌聲詞意流到哪裡，自 越距離的神交。
有人傳唱聆聽，再聚在社交平台匯聚。所不同者，這是出自文人之手，歌
手之口，觸動有心人的交流。 我偶像蘇東坡和陶淵明詩一百零九首，而我歌詞不少養分來自蘇軾其
人其作，亦不失為橫跨古今對話，東坡若有知，該笑我於無極處稱
友也。

106 | BONHAMS