Ocarina

 　　The sound of the ocarina is unique: high-pitched, light, and resonant.

　　It naturally evokes images of boundless bamboo forests and waves surging in the wind. The sound of the ocarina is like a flock of white birds rapidly swirling, rising, falling, and soaring above the undulating green waves…

　　I first heard the sound of an ocarina in a small alley called Jinli in Sichuan. This pedestrian street, paved with bluestone slabs, is actually a bustling place. The wooden buildings on both sides of the alley retain their original floral windows, and red lanterns hang high. Tourists throng the winding alley, and the stream murmurs. The shops, lined up one after another, sell clothing, jade, ornaments, antiques, musical instruments, and all kinds of Sichuan snacks. If you get tired, you can sit and rest on the stone benches under the plane trees by the roadside.

　　Perhaps due to my childhood love and sensitivity to music, my hearing caught a beautiful melody amidst the bustling city. Although my memory bank holds templates of the sounds of various keyboard, string, and wind instruments I've encountered since childhood, the light and melodious sound of this instrument still stirred my heart. Looking around, I followed the sound and found it coming from a shop not far behind me. Indeed, the sound was special; it gradually calmed my mind, and the surrounding noise seemed to disappear in an instant. Before my eyes appeared a vast natural scene: a boundless bamboo forest and flocks of birds soaring above it.

　　The ocarina was about the size of a human hand. Its shape somewhat resembled a starfish from the underwater world, but it was an irregular triangle. In addition to the sound hole, it had twelve small holes, which could be used to play different pitches. I think classifying this ceramic instrument as a "flute" is not only because it is a wind instrument, but also because its clear and melodious sound is very similar to a flute. However, the ocarina's sound, though high-pitched, is not shrill; though crisp, it is also mellow, different from a bamboo flute. Perhaps this is what makes it unique compared to other wind instruments. It's quite surprising that such a simple, unassuming instrument could produce such beautiful sounds; it's truly incredible.

　　The ocarina reminded me of another ancient wind instrument from the north: the xun. Although these two instruments differ in shape, their nature is quite similar. Modern xuns come in nine-hole and ten-hole versions, and regardless of the type, they are difficult to play, not easy to produce a sound, and even more difficult to perform. Yet, the xun exudes an ancient, earthy aura, producing a deep, melancholic sound, like a solitary singer under the moonlight, captivating the soul. Of course, I prefer to see it as a simple, rustic clay artwork rather than a musical instrument, letting it silently accompany books, allowing me to contemplate ancient battlefields when I gaze upon it, feeling the depth of Chinese civilization and the great wisdom of our ancestors.

　　The ocarina and the xun are two seemingly ordinary musical instruments, one from the south and the other from the north. Although both originate from the earth, their sounds are distinctly different: one is light and soaring to the heavens, the other is deep and mournful, sweeping across barren trees and desolate villages to the vast earth. I think that simplicity and ordinariness, though often overlooked, contain a silent energy, a primal driving force for creating richness and wonder, and should be a state of being we strive for.

　　The ocarina and xun also remind me of people: some are bright and cheerful, some are calm and reserved, some are humble and peaceful, some are learned yet their voices are quiet and understated. Of course, some have voices like cymbals, some have muffled, indistinct sounds, devoid of personality…

　　In the days since returning from Sichuan, I often think of the ocarina, of that bustling alley, of the ocarina and its captivating music, like a chance encounter with a commoner, leaving an unforgettable memory.