— Wang Wei
The trees in your valley scrape the sky,
You’ll hear in your hills cuckoo’s cry.
If it rained at night in your mountain,
You’d see your tree tips hung like fountain.
Your women weave to make a suit;
You’d try to solve people’s dispute.
The sage before you opened schools;
Like him you should carry out rules.
Note
Wang Wei (699–761CE) was a towering figure of the High Tang Dynasty – renowned as a poet, painter, and musician – and is often hailed as the “Poet Buddha” for his deep Chan (Zen) Buddhist sensibilities. His poetry blends vivid natural imagery with philosophical calm, emphasizing harmony between humanity and the landscape.
His poem “Farewell to Prefect Li of Zizhou” is both a scenic tribute and an encouraging message to a friend appointed to govern Zizhou (in modern Sichuan), a remote and culturally distinct region.
The opening lines paint a majestic, almost mythical landscape:”Ten thousand ravines – trees pierce the sky; / A thousand mountains echo with cuckoos’ cries.” After a night of mountain rain, waterfalls cascade from treetops like layered streams”tree-top springs” – evoking a realm of sublime natural abundance.
Wang then shifts to local customs: Han Chinese women pay taxes intong cloth; indigenous Ba people dispute land over taro fields – hinting at the region’s cultural complexity and administrative challenges.
In the final couplet, he alludes to Wen Weng, a famed Han-dynasty governor who brought Confucian education to Sichuan. Wang gently urges his friend:”Though Wen Weng reformed this land through teaching, / Do not rely solely on the legacy of past sages.” The message is clear – honor tradition, but lead with your own wisdom and initiative.
Rather than sentimental farewell, the poem offers respect, contextual insight, and quiet confidence in his friend’s ability to govern justly in a rugged, vibrant frontier.
送梓州李使君
— 王维
万壑树参天，
千山响杜鹃。
山中一夜雨，
树杪百重泉。
汉女输橦布，
巴人讼芋田。
文翁翻教授，
不敢倚先贤。
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