After retiring he started painting — truly, don't call the twilight years late.
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From Liu Yuxi's (刘禹锡) Tang poem 《酬乐天咏老见示》 (In Reply to Bai Juyi's Verse on Old Age): 莫道桑榆晚，为霞尚满天。 — 'Do not say the mulberry-and-elm hour is late; its afterglow still fills the sky.' 桑榆 (the mulberry and elm trees where the setting sun rests) was a classical metaphor for the final stage of life.
usage
Almost always paired with 为霞尚满天. A canonical uplifting line cited at retirement parties, senior-citizen events, and in political speeches about the contributions of elders.
