Qiji doesn't like wagging tongues

A Hard Road to Walk (2)
Qiji

The road is hard to walk,
But not because its track may rise or fall.
It’s odious comparisons
That make the flattest pathway mountainous.
Then lacquer fears to stand alongside pitch,
Vermilion won’t be seen with cinnabar.
We fear to mix with other men,
And wish for pure white clouds to paint instead.

齐己  行路难二首·其二
下浸与高盘，不为行路难。
是非真险恶，翻覆作峰峦。
漆愧同时黑，朱惭巧处丹。
令人畏相识，欲画白云看。

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The second poem by the monk Qiji with the title Hard Road to Walk again tackles the difficulties of life’s journey, and again suggests that the big problem is the words of other men.

I’m not at all certain about this interpretation, but this is my best guess. Qiji says that the danger is shifei, which means “right and wrong,” “gossip,” or “criticism.” In this poem, I think he’s referring to critical comparisons, though it is possible that some deeper theology is intended.

Lacquer is black, as is pitch.

Vermilion and cinnabar were two sources of red dye.

At the end of the poem, the white cloud is a reference to this conscientious objector classic.