A jest about pilgrims' hurried whips—
Yet here even I must pause my lips.
Sun hugs the temple at cliff's midriff,
Cloud-milk feeds stone's hidden glyph.
Wooden sandals path to northern grove,
Anchored sails dot the eastern cove.
Min Dynasty's pomp lies entombed,
While rice fields to monastic altars bloomed.
笑问并儿一举鞭，亦逢佳景暂留连。
青冥日抱山腰阁，碧野云含石眼泉。
蹑屐路通林北寺，落帆门系海东船。
闽王旧事今何在，惟有村村供佛田。
Composed during the Xining era of Emperor Shenzong's reign when Zeng Gong served in Fujian, this poem captures his inspection tour to the historic Sacred Spring Temple near Fuzhou. This scenic site, surrounded by mountains and rivers, was once connected to the Min Kingdom's royal legacy. Zeng's visit inspired this meditation on vanished kingdoms and enduring landscapes, blending natural beauty with historical contemplation.
Classical Chinese poetry thrives on Concision and Ambiguity. Without tense or number, the words create a timeless space where the reader becomes the co-creator of the poem's meaning.
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