From the mountains you come; to the mountains you go，
White clouds wll follow you high and low,
High and low.
When you come into South em mountains high,
Following you, o'er Southern streams white clouds will fly.
O'er Southern water blue，
There'sivy cloak for you,
You should go back and lie on cloud as white clouds do.
楚山秦山皆白云，白云处处长随君。
长随君，君入楚山里，云亦随君度湘水。
湘水上，女萝衣，白云堪卧君早归。
The poem opens directly with the image of white clouds, centering on Liu Shiliu’s journey of retiring from Qin to Chu after leaving official life. It depicts white clouds accompanying him as he crosses the Xiangshui River and ventures into the mountains of Chu, ultimately wishing that he may recline in ease amid the white clouds. Framed by white clouds from the very beginning to the end, the poem employs this imagery as a symbol of the unrestrained freedom, lofty transcendence, and unblemished purity that define the virtue of a hermit. In doing so, it expresses the poet’s admiration for the reclusive life and for Liu Shiliu’s noble and unsullied character, while subtly implying his resolve to break away from the corrupt political regime of his time.
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.
Look for Contrasts: light and shadow, movement and stillness. Don't just translate the words; feel the Yijing (artistic conception) that lingers long after the last character.
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