In early summer, grass and trees flourish,Lush branches encircle my thatched cottage.The flock of birds rejoices in their shelter,And I, too, cherish my humble dwelling. Having plowed and sown my fields,I now return in due season to read my books.My narrow lane is cut off from the deep ruts of the main road,Which keeps…
Jingwei carries tiny twigs in her beak,Intending to fill the vast blue sea.Xingtian dances with his shield and battle-axe,His fierce resolve forever remains. Though mortal life is spent, no sorrow lingers;Transformed into strange beings, they harbor no regrets.The fierce ambitions of the past still burn within,But how could they ever wait for a time…
Preface: Lingering Clouds is a poem about missing friends and kin. The wine vessel is filled with fresh brew, and the garden displays its first blossoms of spring. Yet, my wish to see them remains unfulfilled; sighs fill my breast. Gathering, gathering, the lingering clouds;Drizzling, drizzling, the timely rain.Darkness shrouds the eight directions;Even the…
不求甚解 (Bù qiú shèn jiě) comes from Eastern‑Jin poet Tao Yuanming’s self‑portrait essay. It originally meant reading for main ideas instead of nit‑picking words. Gradually it turned negative, describing shallow learning without deep exploration. This idiom reflects traditional Chinese literary attitudes toward reading and intellectual pursuit.
— by Tao Yuanming (Jin Dynasty) Life has no firm and lasting root –It drifts like dust upon the roadside street.Scattered apart, chased by the wind’s turn,This body is no longer what it was before.Once born into this world, we are all brothers –Why must we share only one flesh and bone?When joy is…
— by Tao Yuanming (Jin Dynasty) I plant beans beneath the southern hill,But weeds grow thick and bean sprouts are sparse.I rise at dawn to clear the tangled waste,And carry my hoe home under the moon.The path is narrow, grasses and trees overgrow;The evening dew wets my clothes.I do not mind the wetting of…
— by Tao Yuanming (Jin Dynasty) Preface: My family was poor, and farming could not support us. The children were many, and the jars had no grain. I knew no way to secure a livelihood. Relatives and friends advised me to take a minor official post. I was tempted, but had no means to…
— by Tao Yuanming (Jin Dynasty) I build my hut among the haunts of men,Yet hear no noise of carts and horses there.You ask me how this can be so?When the heart is distant, the place itself grows remote.I pluck chrysanthemums beneath the eastern hedge,And idly gaze at the southern hills.The mountain air is…