Tang Dynasty
Green Creek
Wang Wei
言入黄花川
每逐青溪水
随山将万转
趣途无百里
声喧乱石中
色静深松里
漾漾泛菱荇
澄澄映葭苇
我心素已闲
清川澹如此
请留盘石上
垂钓将已矣
Translation
"Green Stream" follows the poet's journey along the Qingxi stream. The water turns with the mountains, sounds loudly among scattered rocks, and grows quiet in color beneath deep pines. In the second half, the scene turns inward: the calmness of the clear stream reflects the poet's own long-held quiet and detached state of mind. The final wish to remain by the rocks and fish suggests an easeful retreat into mountains and water.
Analysis
This poem uses Qingxi stream as its central thread, moving from landscape into emotion and blending scene with feeling. The first half describes the changing nature of the water: it sounds loud as it passes through rough rocks, then becomes still and clear beneath deep pines. Movement and stillness set each other off. The latter half draws the poet's own leisure and detachment from the stream's calm purity. The ending, "to fish here until all is done," places the desire for retreat within the landscape, naturally and without force.
About the Author
Wang Wei, also known by his courtesy name Mojie, was a Tang dynasty poet, painter, and musician who lived around 701–761. His poetry often focuses on landscapes and pastoral life, with a clear, distant, and ethereal style. Because his quiet scenes often carry a sense of Chan Buddhist insight, later generations called him the "Poet Buddha."