The Original Translation of Wang Wei's Ancient Poem "Empty Mountain after Rain"

Whole poem

An autumn night in the mountains

Tang. Wang Wei.

The empty mountains are bathed in a new rain, and feel the early autumn at night.

The bright moon shed clear light from the cracks and cleared the fountain on the rocks.

The bamboo forest is sonorous, the washerwoman returns, and the lotus leaves are swaying to get on the canoe.

Spring spring might as well give it a rest, and the autumn sun can stay on the hills for a long time.

Translation:

The empty mountain is bathed in a new rain, and the arrival of night makes people feel that it is early autumn. The moon is clear and clear, and the clear spring is flowing. The bamboo forest was noisy until the washerwoman came back, and the lotus leaves swayed like canoes. The wheat straw in spring might as well let it rest, and the prince and grandson in the mountains can stay in autumn.

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This is a landscape poem written by Wang Wei in Wangchuan, Lantian in his later years. This poem describes the evening scene after the autumn rain. I can still feel the freshness when I read it today. The first two sentences describe the environment and specific moment at that time: the environment is an "empty mountain" after the "new rain"; Time is the "night" of "autumn" day. This outlines the "prescribed situation" of this poem as a whole. Zhuan Xu (three or four sentences) wrote about the beautiful natural scenery in the mountains: the bright moon shines on the blue sky washed by rain, and her bright light and shadow can be seen through the branches and leaves of pine trees; The clear spring is running on the stone, and the waves are crystal clear in the moonlight. Then, the neck couplet (five or six sentences) wrote the dynamics of the mountain people, but the language was subtle and ingenious. The poet is in Huan Nv (Huan [Huan] female: washerwoman. Writing "Bamboo Noisy" and "Lotus Moving" before "Fishing Boat" not only conforms to the order of realistic feelings, but also conforms to the aesthetic taste of readers, because Miss Huan is hiding in the bamboo forest and the fishing boat is covered by lotus leaves. When you hear the noise of the bamboo forest and see the shaking of the lotus leaves, you will find the Huannv and the Lotus Boat. In this way, when you write from a hidden place, you will see the truth, and you will see the interest and poetry.

An excellent landscape poem not only writes beautiful natural scenery, but also embodies the poet's deep feelings. The beautiful life picture described in this poem reflects the poet's ideal of living a quiet simple living, and sets off his dislike of dirty officialdom from the opposite side. "The Songs of Chu Recruit Hermits" said: "When Wang Sun returns, he can't stay in the mountains for a long time." The poet's experience is just the opposite: "my friend's prince, spring has passed and you are still here. What does it matter?" "He feels that in the mountains, the spirit and mood can flow freely with the spring flowers and the autumn moon. Therefore, seclusion away from officialdom is naturally the destination where he can stay for a long time.