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Plum Blossom (The Classic)

Wang Anshi (Song)

墙角数枝梅，凌寒独自开。
遥知不是雪，为有暗香来。
In the corner of the wall, a few plum branches bloom,
Bravely opening alone in the biting cold.
From afar, I know they are not snow—
For a faint fragrance quietly drifts through.

Quiet Night Thoughts

Li Bai (Tang)

床前明月光，疑是地上霜。
举头望明月，低头思故乡。
Before my bed, the moonlight glows,
I wonder if it's frost upon the ground.
I lift my head to watch the moon,
Then lower it, thinking of my hometown.

Deer Enclosure

Wang Wei (Tang)

空山不见人，但闻人语响。
返景入深林，复照青苔上。
In these empty hills, no one is seen,
Only echoes of voices are heard.
Returning sunlight pierces the deep woods,
And falls again upon the green moss.

Deer Enclosure

Wang Wei (Tang)

空山不见人，但闻人语响。
返景入深林，复照青苔上。
In these empty hills, no one is seen,
Only echoes of voices are heard.
Returning sunlight pierces the deep woods,
And falls again upon the green moss.

River Snow

Liu Zongyuan (Tang)

千山鸟飞绝，万径人踪灭。
孤舟蓑笠翁，独钓寒江雪。
Across a thousand mountains, no bird in flight,
On ten thousand paths, no human trace.
A lone boat, an old man in straw cloak and hat,
Fishing alone in the cold river snow.

Bamboo Pavilion

Wang Wei (Tang)

独坐幽篁里，弹琴复长啸。
深林人不知，明月来相照。
Sitting alone in the quiet bamboo grove,
I strum my lute and whistle long.
Deep in the woods, no one knows I'm here—
Only the bright moon comes to shine on me.

West Lake

Su Shi (Song)

水光潋滟晴方好，山色空蒙雨亦奇。
欲把西湖比西子，淡妆浓抹总相宜。
The shimmering water looks fine under clear skies,
The misty mountains feel magical in the rain.
If I must compare West Lake to a beauty,
She looks lovely in light makeup or heavy paint.

Spring Dawn

Meng Haoran (Tang)

春眠不觉晓，处处闻啼鸟。
夜来风雨声，花落知多少。
Spring slumber lingers, I wake not to dawn,
Everywhere I hear the birds singing.
Last night came the sound of wind and rain—
I wonder how many petals have fallen.

Plum Blossoms

(Another) – Lu You (Song)

闻道梅花坼晓风，雪堆遍满四山中。
何方化作身千亿，一树梅花一放翁。
I hear the plums crack open in the dawn wind,
Snowdrifts pile across the four mountains.
How could I transform into a thousand selves,
To stand by every plum tree, one man per bloom?

Mountain Journey

Du Mu (Tang)

远上寒山石径斜，白云生处有人家。
停车坐爱枫林晚，霜叶红于二月花。
A stone path winds far up the cold mountain,
Where white clouds rise, there are homes of men.
I stop my cart to love the maple woods at dusk—
The frosty leaves are redder than spring flowers.

A Quatrain

Du Fu (Tang)

两个黄鹂鸣翠柳，一行白鹭上青天。
窗含西岭千秋雪，门泊东吴万里船。
Two golden orioles sing in the green willows,
A line of white egrets rises into the blue sky.
My window frames the western hills' eternal snow,
At my door, a ship from far-off East Wu rests.

Bird-Singing Stream 

Wang Wei (Tang)

人闲桂花落，夜静春山空。
月出惊山鸟，时鸣春涧中。
With leisure, I see the osmanthus fall,
At night, the spring hills are still and empty.
The rising moon startles the mountain birds—
They chirp now and then in the spring ravine.

A Visit to a Friend's Cottage

Meng Haoran (Tang)

开轩面场圃，把酒话桑麻。
待到重阳日，还来就菊花。
I open the window to face the threshing ground,
Holding wine, we talk of hemp and mulberry.
When the Double Ninth Festival comes around,
I will return to enjoy the chrysanthemums with you.

Autumn Dusk in the Mountains

Wang Wei (Tang)

空山新雨后，天气晚来秋。
明月松间照，清泉石上流。
Fresh rain has just washed these empty hills,
Evening brings the chill of autumn.
Bright moonlight gleams through the pines,
Clear springs flow over the stones.

Maple Bridge Night Mooring

Zhang Ji (Tang)

月落乌啼霜满天，江枫渔火对愁眠。
姑苏城外寒山寺，夜半钟声到客船。
Moon sets, crows cry, frost fills the sky,
River maples and fishing lights face my sleepless rest.
Beyond the town of Suzhou, Cold Mountain Temple's bell
Reaches my guest boat at the midnight hour.

Making Tea at the Spring 

Bai Juyi (Tang)

坐酌泠泠水，看煎瑟瑟尘。
无由持一碗，寄与爱茶人。
I sit, scooping the cool, clear spring,
Watching the powdered tea brew, emerald green.
Without any reason, I hold this bowl—
To send to the one who loves tea as I've seen.

Sitting Alone by Jingting Mountain

Li Bai (Tang)

众鸟高飞尽，孤云独去闲。
相看两不厌，只有敬亭山。
All the birds have flown high and far away,
A lone cloud drifts idly off, unhurried.
We watch each other and never grow tired—
Only this Jingting Mountain, deeply cherished.

Mooring on the River at Dusk

Meng Haoran (Tang)

移舟泊烟渚，日暮客愁新。
野旷天低树，江清月近人。
I move my boat and moor by the misty isle,
As dusk falls, a traveler's sorrow revives.
The open field meets the sky, lower than the trees,
The river is clear, and the moon draws close to me.

Waterfall at Mount Lu

Li Bai (Tang)

日照香炉生紫烟，遥看瀑布挂前川。
飞流直下三千尺，疑是银河落九天。
Sunlight gilds the Incense Burner peak with purple smoke,
From afar, the waterfall hangs like a river ahead.
It plunges straight down three thousand feet—
I wonder if the Silver River fell from Heaven instead.

Spring River Scene 

Su Shi (Song)

竹外桃花三两枝，春江水暖鸭先知。
蒌蒿满地芦芽短，正是河豚欲上时。
Beyond the bamboo, two or three peach branches bloom,
The spring river warms—the ducks know it first.
Wormwood covers the ground, reeds shoot up short—
Just when the pufferfish are about to make their burst.

Drinking Wine (Excerpt) 

Tao Yuanming (Jin)

采菊东篱下，悠然见南山。
山气日夕佳，飞鸟相与还。
I pluck chrysanthemums beneath the eastern hedge,
And at leisure, I see the southern mountain arise.
The mountain air is lovely as dusk approaches,
And flocks of birds fly home together before my eyes.