Song Dynasty
Pure Serene Music · Inspecting the Mountain Garden
Xin Qiji
连云松竹
万事从今足
拄杖东家分社肉
白酒床头初熟
西风梨枣山园
儿童偷把长竿
莫遣旁人惊去
老夫静处闲看
Translation
Pines and bamboo rise as if joining the clouds; from now on, all things seem enough. Leaning on my staff, I go east to a neighbor's house to share the festival meat; at home, the white wine beside my bed has just ripened. The west wind blows through the mountain garden, where pears and dates are ripe; children secretly take up long poles to knock the fruit from the branches. Do not let others startle them away; this old man only wishes to watch quietly from a peaceful place.
Analysis
This lyric records a scene from Xin Qiji's life in retirement, as he walks through and inspects his mountain garden. Unlike his famous patriotic and heroic works, this poem is quiet, domestic, and deeply rooted in rural daily life. The first stanza opens with 'pines and bamboo joining the clouds,' a broad and elevated image. Pines and bamboo suggest purity, resilience, and seclusion. 'From now on, all things seem enough' does not mean that Xin Qiji's life had no regrets. Rather, in this moment, the mountain garden, neighbors, food, wine, and autumn harvest create a temporary sense of sufficiency. The details that follow are intentionally plain. 'Festival meat' refers to meat shared after a village ritual, suggesting seasonal customs and neighborly ties. 'White wine just ripened' brings the pleasure of home-brewed wine. The fullness here is not luxurious; it is rural, ordinary, and human. The second stanza turns to children stealing fruit. Autumn wind has ripened the pears and dates, and the children secretly bring long poles to knock them down. Instead of scolding them, the speaker says not to frighten them away. He prefers to watch quietly. This ending is warm and revealing: the old poet has gained a kind of tolerant leisure, a willingness to let life unfold before him. The charm of the poem lies in its simplicity. It shows Xin Qiji not as the frustrated patriot or heroic warrior, but as an aging man finding consolation in trees, wine, neighbors, fruit, children, and the rhythm of village life.
About the Author
Xin Qiji, courtesy name You'an and literary name Jiaxuan, was a major poet and military figure of the Southern Song dynasty. Born in Licheng, Shandong, he joined anti-Jin resistance efforts in his youth and later served the Southern Song court. He spent much of his life advocating the recovery of the northern territories, but his ambitions were often frustrated by politics. Xin Qiji is best known as a master of the bold and powerful style of ci poetry, often paired with Su Shi as 'Su-Xin.' Yet he also wrote many works of rural retirement, where daily life, nature, and quiet observation reveal a gentler side of his art.