— Li Bai
The Clear Stream clears my heart;
Its water flows apart.
I ask the River New,
“Why transparent are you?”
On mirror bright boats hie;
Between the screens birds fly.
At dusk the monkeys cry;
In vain the wayfarers sigh.
清溪行
— 李白
清溪清我心，
水色异诸水。
借问新安江，
见底何如此？
人行明镜中，
鸟度屏风里。
向晚猩猩啼，
空悲远游子。
Note
Along the Clear Stream is a poem by Li Bai from the Tang Dynasty, composed during his travels in Chizhou (modern-day Guichi, Anhui). The poem vividly captures the natural beauty of the stream and the poet’s introspective emotions.
Regarding its creation date, there are several theories:
Some scholars believe it was written during Li Bai’s visit to Chizhou in Autumn 753 AD, or to Xuancheng in 754 AD or to Qiupu in 755 AD.
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