It's my grandfather's birthday next month and I'm wodnering if there's a classi poem or some words you guys can write for me. He's a great scholar/historian and taught for a living before the cultural revolution. I bought him an erhu, so if you can help me out.

Sorry if this is the wrong thread..I'm trying to get use to all these changes to the forum.

I am sure there are many poems that would be appropriate, but I am not qualified to suggest one.
Might I suggest painting a picture for him.
I know that one of the best cards or gifts I can receive is one that my children made for me.

There are many symbols that are rebus's for wishing some one long life.
A cat with a with a butterfly wishes long life
as does a butterfly and plum blossoms
or
a picture of the god of Longevity Shouxing , better yet how about just your own attempt at calligraphy and paint the character shou. There are many different ways to depict it and that one character speaks of many possitive blessings.
Even if you are inexperienced at calligraphy you grandfather will appreciate the attempt.

Does he have any pet topics or favourite part of chinese history? Finding or creating gifts from that range would be good. For example like reciting some poem of Su Dongpo to him that kind of thing?

Two very famous poems which you might want to use.

Wang Wei's "Alone in a bamboo grove". It is about music, and would certainly go well with the erhu.

獨坐幽篁裏，
彈琴復長嘯。
深林人不知，
明月來相照。


If you feel a little bolder, you may want to quote this one by Su Dongpo

莫聽穿林打葉聲，
何妨吟嘯且徐行。
竹杖芒鞵輕勝馬，
誰怕？
一蓑煙雨任平生。　
料峭春風吹酒醒，
微冷，
山頭斜照卻相迎。
迴首向來蕭瑟處，
歸去，
也無風雨也無晴。

It is about old age, there are lots of reference to music, it is very famous and very beautiful, and less conventional that the Wang Wei (as a choice). But... it might be a little too "direct" (or unfilial) as a present from a chinese grandson to his chinese grand father.

I would most certainly select the latter for my own grandfather (were he chinese and still alive), but I'm not chinese (and as such naturally unfilial ;-)).

In my opinion, Su Shi is the better choice, and Wang Wei the safer one. Maybe it would be best to ask advice from someone in your family before you make your decision.

Francois

Thank you so much! =) All of your help is much appreciated!

He knows a lot and loves the Three Kingdoms period, not to say that he's old, he's the son of a landlord, so his Qing-Modern era history is mostly first hand accounts..haha.

Ahh he loves the Three Kingdoms period also? Did you bring him to go watch Red Cliff? hehe do you think he will like the show?

Ohh son of a landlord! i hope he didn't stay around during the time of the Cultural Revolution? I suppose he had migrated to the US already? He's definitely a great source of qing-modern era history so nice to be able to hear stories which should be quite interesting

You are a very lucky person to have such a resource for first hand stories still alive within your family. Do not let this wonderful opportunity go to waste. Ask questions and listen closely to the tales he has to tell. You will have a wealth of information that can be recorded for the future generations of your family. He experienced an extraordinary era in China's history.