Among ten thousand writing styles,
There's no one standard or measure.
The styles: many, muddled, and free --
Form, the unattainable treasure.
Talent in word-wrangling shows skill.
Idea conveyance shows craft.
Writers strive 'twixt have and have not --
Unyielding in shallow or deep draught.
An escape artist of fine lines --
Yet time and space consume in kind.
Intricacy excites the eye,
But frugality soothes the mind.
One of few words is not confined.
Verbose writers drift the Undefined.
The original in Simplified Chinese:
体有万殊,物无一量。
纷纭挥霍,形难为状。
辞程才以效伎,意司契而为匠。
在有无而黾勉,当浅深而不让。
虽离方而遯员,期穷形而尽相。
故夫夸目者尚奢,惬心者贵当。
言穷者无隘,论达者唯旷。

