Birds & Flower

1981
Chinese ink and colour on paper
95.5 x 44 cm

紫藤雞雛
Seven Chicks and Wisterias

Inscription by artist:

终日遊園知母護
紫花時愛步未遲

范昌乾

All day long roaming the garden knowing of their mother’s protection.
Timely still to give the purple flowers due adoration.

Express Interest >

1981
Chinese ink and colour on paper
97 x 45 cm

荻花五鸭
Five Ducks

Inscription by artist:

大地小塘荻聚丛
凫游无越荜门东
午潮涨退常中有
闹得呀声夕後终

范昌乾

In a small pond, clumps of reeds found,
Ducks float leisurely within bounds.
The ebbs and flows of tide is daily routine,
At eventide will the ducks stop quacking.

Express Interest >

1965
Chinese ink and colour on paper
140 x 35 cm

棕榈叶下
Under a Palm Leaf

Inscription by artist:

清风玉立初晴天
十丈摇空不斗妍
时有幽禽翩欲舞
尽情无阻纵横穿

乙巳夏四月于星洲并题范昌乾

1980
Chinese ink and colour on paper
140 x 34.5 cm

雁南迁
Geese Migrating Southwards

Inscription by artist:

南坰显迹带霜翎
日艳风吹冷荻汀
心事不宣声意秀
谁知客久益难听

庚申岁春月画并题句范昌乾

1984
Chinese ink and colour on paper
103 x 35 cm

失群之鸭
The Lone Duck

Inscription by artist:

东西相映玉丛开
天外禽声急降来
噫噫自然心事在
休听人有作胡猜

丁未年春三月于
星洲听风楼下西窗隅范昌乾

That duck is feeling sad,no partner and all alone,
Under the sparsely growing bamboo, quiet and forlorn.
A ray of hope fromthe enveloping twilight,
Looking for warmth fromthe pending fine night.

1964
Chinese ink and colour on paper
140 x 35cm

群鳧
Untitled (Ducks)

Inscription by artist:

獵獵風吹蒲荻叢
呀呀相望切情中
蔽毛不見炎凉態
愉快歸時夕影紅

甲辰冬月客星洲，范昌乾。

翻譯：風將蒲荻叢吹得獵獵作響，彼此相望呀呀的叫著，真誠的情愫深藏其中。遮蔽的羽毛不覺得氣候的冷和熱，愉快歸來的時刻，正是夕陽西下晚霞滿天
公元1964季農曆的冬月，在新加坡做客，范昌乾。

The wind rustles among cattail and weeds.
They exchange calls of honest concern and true love.
Their feathers shield them from the cold and heat*.
They are happy to revel in the sunset on homecoming.

* The sentence could also be interpreted as ‘Though lowly creatures they do not fawn or disdain’.

Painted by Fan Chang Tien in Singapore, in the winter month of the lunar calendar, 1964.

Collection of National Gallery of Singapore

1965
Chinese ink and colour on paper
136 x 35cm

山茶八哥
Twin Birds and Camellia

Inscription by artist:

十丈红露耀碧空
佳禽何事噫融融
潛心稿莫同時樣
不免貽人不務工

乙巳年秋七月中元節後五日
画于星洲并以俚句補空白
范昌乾印章

Hundred feet of red radiating against the blue sky,
Henceforth the birds’ feelings are going on high.
Not to follow the trendy fashion or new modern,
No doubt people may think my work had slacken.

1983
Chinese ink and colour on paper
138 x 67cm

松鶴
Pine Tree with Twin Cranes

Inscription by artist:

迭聞聯日松間鳴
沁入詩心滌俗情
薄見雲煙高下速
論齡歷世滿多庚

For days heard cranes’ frequent calling,
Mundane thoughts of the world erasing.
Soaring and swooping up down the sky,
In terms of age, they live a very long life.

1965
Chinese ink on paper
140 x 35cm

新加坡胡姬兰
Singapore’s Ochid

Inscription by artist:

藉雨中催花早开
画材满是猎徘徊
高风原不求皮相
时习怕多历乱猜

With showers of rain, flwers bloom early,
Good to paint such wonderful scenery.
Upright with no pretentious culture,
Its image not for your conjecture.

1981
Chinese ink and colour on paper
119 x 33cm

紫藤两八哥
Wisterias and Two Mynahs

Inscription by artist:

紫花得令未遲開
更益趣生拾級來
莫道地偏無鼓吹
禽聲悅耳獨裴囬

Wisterias are never late in flowering,
Interest and excitement gradually increasing.
Surroundings are without fanfare to present,
Is enough to hear sweet singings the birds sent.

Inscription by artist:

终日遊園知母護 紫花時愛步未遲 范昌乾

All day long roaming the garden knowing of their mother’s protection. Timely still to give the purple flowers due adoration.

Inscription by artist:

大地小塘荻聚丛 凫游无越荜门东 午潮涨退常中有 闹得呀声夕後终 范昌乾

In a small pond, clumps of reeds found, Ducks float leisurely within bounds. The ebbs and flows of tide is daily routine, At eventide will the ducks stop quacking.

Inscription by artist:

清风玉立初晴天 十丈摇空不斗妍 时有幽禽翩欲舞 尽情无阻纵横穿 乙巳夏四月于星洲并题 范昌乾

Inscription by artist:

南坰显迹带霜翎 日艳风吹冷荻汀 心事不宣声意秀 谁知客久益难听 庚申岁春月画并题句 范昌乾

Inscription by artist:

东西相映玉丛开 天外禽声急降来 噫噫自然心事在 休听人有作胡猜 丁未年春三月于 星洲听风楼下西窗隅 范昌乾

That duck is feeling sad, no partner and all alone, Under the sparsely growing bamboo, quiet and forlorn. A ray of hope from the enveloping twilight, Looking for warmth from the pending fine night.

Inscription by artist:

獵獵風吹蒲荻叢 呀呀相望切情中 蔽毛不見炎凉態 愉快歸時夕影紅 甲辰冬月客星洲，范昌乾。

翻譯：風將蒲荻叢吹得獵獵作響，彼此相望呀呀的叫著，真誠的情愫深藏其中。遮蔽的羽毛不覺得氣候的冷和熱，愉快歸來的時刻，正是夕陽西下晚霞滿天 公元1964季農曆的冬月，在新加坡做客，范昌乾。

The wind rustles among cattail and weeds. They exchange calls of honest concern and true love. Their feathers shield them from the cold and heat*. They are happy to revel in the sunset on homecoming.

* The sentence could also be interpreted as ‘Though lowly creatures they do not fawn or disdain’.

Collection of National Gallery of Singapore

Inscription by artist:

十丈红露耀碧空 佳禽何事噫融融 潛心稿莫同時樣 不免貽人不務工

乙巳年秋七月中元節後五日 画于星洲并以俚句補空白 范昌乾 印章

Hundred feet of red radiating against the blue sky, Henceforth the birds’ feelings are going on high. Not to follow the trendy fashion or new modern, No doubt people may think my work had slacken.

Inscription by artist:

迭聞聯日松間鳴 沁入詩心滌俗情 薄見雲煙高下速 論齡歷世滿多庚

For days heard cranes’ frequent calling, Mundane thoughts of the world erasing. Soaring and swooping up down the sky, In terms of age, they live a very long life.

Inscription by artist:

藉雨中催花早开 画材满是猎徘徊 高风原不求皮相 时习怕多历乱猜

With showers of rain, flwers bloom early, Good to paint such wonderful scenery. Upright with no pretentious culture, Its image not for your conjecture.

Inscription by artist:

紫花得令未遲開 更益趣生拾級來 莫道地偏無鼓吹 禽聲悅耳獨裴囬

Wisterias are never late in flowering, Interest and excitement gradually increasing. Surroundings are without fanfare to present, Is enough to hear sweet singings the birds sent.

终日遊園知母護
紫花時愛步未遲

范昌乾

All day long roaming the garden knowing of their mother’s protection.
Timely still to give the purple flowers due adoration.

大地小塘荻聚丛
凫游无越荜门东
午潮涨退常中有
闹得呀声夕後终

范昌乾

In a small pond, clumps of reeds found,
Ducks float leisurely within bounds.
The ebbs and flows of tide is daily routine,
At eventide will the ducks stop quacking.

清风玉立初晴天
十丈摇空不斗妍
时有幽禽翩欲舞
尽情无阻纵横穿

乙巳夏四月于星洲并题范昌乾

南坰显迹带霜翎
日艳风吹冷荻汀
心事不宣声意秀
谁知客久益难听

庚申岁春月画并题句范昌乾

东西相映玉丛开
天外禽声急降来
噫噫自然心事在
休听人有作胡猜

丁未年春三月于
星洲听风楼下西窗隅范昌乾

That duck is feeling sad,no partner and all alone,
Under the sparsely growing bamboo, quiet and forlorn.
A ray of hope fromthe enveloping twilight,
Looking for warmth fromthe pending fine night.

獵獵風吹蒲荻叢
呀呀相望切情中
蔽毛不見炎凉態
愉快歸時夕影紅

甲辰冬月客星洲，范昌乾。

翻譯：風將蒲荻叢吹得獵獵作響，彼此相望呀呀的叫著，真誠的情愫深藏其中。遮蔽的羽毛不覺得氣候的冷和熱，愉快歸來的時刻，正是夕陽西下晚霞滿天
公元1964季農曆的冬月，在新加坡做客，范昌乾。

The wind rustles among cattail and weeds.
They exchange calls of honest concern and true love.
Their feathers shield them from the cold and heat*.
They are happy to revel in the sunset on homecoming.

十丈红露耀碧空
佳禽何事噫融融
潛心稿莫同時樣
不免貽人不務工

乙巳年秋七月中元節後五日
画于星洲并以俚句補空白
范昌乾印章

Hundred feet of red radiating against the blue sky,
Henceforth the birds’ feelings are going on high.
Not to follow the trendy fashion or new modern,
No doubt people may think my work had slacken.

迭聞聯日松間鳴
沁入詩心滌俗情
薄見雲煙高下速
論齡歷世滿多庚

For days heard cranes’ frequent calling,
Mundane thoughts of the world erasing.
Soaring and swooping up down the sky,
In terms of age, they live a very long life.

藉雨中催花早开
画材满是猎徘徊
高风原不求皮相
时习怕多历乱猜

With showers of rain, flwers bloom early,
Good to paint such wonderful scenery.
Upright with no pretentious culture,
Its image not for your conjecture.

紫花得令未遲開
更益趣生拾級來
莫道地偏無鼓吹
禽聲悅耳獨裴囬

Wisterias are never late in flowering,
Interest and excitement gradually increasing.
Surroundings are without fanfare to present,
Is enough to hear sweet singings the birds sent.