What a tragedy, all beings are taken by it!
The vegetation is flourishing and the white birds are returning,
Mountain forests are clear and the sun sets over the hills,
A thunderbolt from light and shadow, for the frost and for the river,
The man on a long journey, travels across mountains and waters.
Faraway from home, he embraces the blue sky.
The phoenix sings as if in a deep valley,
The crane dances without being confined in the long gorge!
The beautiful girl had a rough and bitter life,
The shortsighted man was fickle and cold-hearted!
Hearing the news the magical Kunpeng stretched its wings,
Willing to be the field on the ridge!
King Wu of Zhou’s troops were delayed by the heavy rain,
Distressed and sleepless he became.
The wild goose is grieved, returning only by itself,
The cold rain is lonely and quiet, hiding its voice.
Looking towards the mountains, King Zhou of Shang’s troops missed their hometown,
Hearing the cry of the deer they headed north.
The heavy rain kept pouring, nonstop,
Wail and cry throughout the night!
The sounds resonate in the deep valley, getting stronger from within,
Trapped and submerged without support.
At such times of sorrow the lonely spring sings,
Leaving our homes and country we headed towards the Taihang Mountains.
Through the winding path up to the mighty peak with forests in the sky,
Looking north to the smoke and clouds, lamenting the Pine Hills.
The trees are desolate and the wind full of pain,
Snow is falling heavily with a long deep sigh.
Lost in the cold path and cry for the East Mountain.
Emperor Guangwu had no idea that a thousand years had passed,
The vast plain cannot explain that everything demands accumulated thinking.
At first sight I understand your heart
Longing for you I play my zither with deep thoughts
Grass turns yellow after the autumn equinox
Phoenix trees drops their leaves with morning dew
The day is bright and the Feng (male phoenix) is singing
The night is long and the Huang (female phoenix) is crying
May the virtues and compassion of the beloved land
Keep you healthy and blessed!
The spirit of a true mountain is with a divine appearance
The form of the grand vision is luxuriant
The state of the clouds is hidden
The mists of the four seasons are different
Upon the birth of heaven and earth,
Mountain saw their will but did nothing
When the wind and the rain both came,
Water understood the beginning and end of their forces but said nothing
Drifting in the vast ocean I wish we will never encounter
Cloudy or clear, from a distance you can tell
The deep valley is spiritless and unfamiliar,
Travel around the world without being heard of.
Wandering in the vastness and be self content
Traces of light and dark are hidden.
The crane is soaring in the sky but where to stay?
Distance is shown through the arrangement of trees,
Depth of water is perceived through cascading streams.
Riding on the freedom and ease of the immortals,
I will travel around and dwell in the clouds!
The grand mountain is the king of all beings
The running creek is the water of ancient times!
Wish the meteor be my messenger,
Forget about the ephemeral and head towards chaos
The sky is clear and boundless, covered with floating clouds,
The earth is warm and the waves are rising
The upright pine is the appearance of the mountain
I’m worried how to take this thing from my heart?
Wisteria vines curl up as the skin of the cloud
Looking like a noble man reclining at ease
The heart cannot be the slave of the body,
Without support the body rides against the wind like an immortal!
The shape of the mountain changes from time to time as one walks around step by step
Mists in the mountains differ at dawn and dusk
Drizzling rain in spring mountains is mesmerizing
Fine trees in summer mountains are calm and soothing
Falling leaves in autumn mountains are dreary and lonely
Snow cover on winter mountains is cold and desolate
Seeing green smoke rises from mountains and streams one thinks of traveling,
Growing on the plain the fragrant grass wishes to shine!
The four seasons change like the wheel of heaven and earth,
The eight wildernesses remain still as the vast night travels down the grand river!
Translated by Tina LIU
