花鸟之韵The Melody of Flowers and Birds

A square sheet, of magnolia. An old branch in dark ink twists out from the lower right, heavily dotted with moss and studded with buds. Several white magnolias open along it, outlined in pale ink against a faint green wash, with fine vermilion stamens at their hearts, clean and graceful. On a slender twig at the upper right a pair of small birds perch together, brown-backed and white-bellied with dark brows and white eye-rings, one turning aside, the other looking back, calm beside the pure white flowers.

The title at the upper left is read for now as “The Melody of Flowers and Birds” (the second character is uncertain): the magnolia flowers in early spring, and birds settle on its branches.

此为斗方，写玉兰。老枝以浓墨写出，自右下盘曲横出，枝上苔点浓重，花苞点点；白玉兰数朵开于枝间，花瓣以淡墨双钩，衬以淡绿底色，花心朱红丝蕊，洁白清雅。右上细枝之上，小鸟一双并栖，褐背白腹，黑眉白眼圈，一只侧首，一只回望，神态安闲，与素洁的玉兰相映，清新宜人。

左上题“花鸟之韵”（次字待考）。玉兰早春先花，鸟栖花枝，写春日的清雅意趣。