O, mock not Lin Zong’s drenched and drooping hood!
The Rain God builds his fortress of despair.
Cold reeds lie still in veils of misty grey,
While gulls, surprised by autumn, skim the air.
The mountain’s strength seems spent, yet trails wind on;
The stream’s song fades—then swells in quiet grace.
With staff in hand, I’d roam where paths may lead,
As pleased as farmers beneath the rain’s embrace.
莫笑林宗折角巾，雨师坚壁助愁城。
菰蒲乍冷横烟淡，鸥路惊秋立水轻。
山势欲穷犹有路，溪流似断又闻声。
好怀聊拟携筇去，政惬农夫荷笠耕。
Liu Guo, a Southern Song patriot and advocate of vigorous, expansive poetry, likely composed this work during his later years of mountain reclusion. As life's pace slowed, his thoughts turned inward—transforming a thwarted mountain ascent into profound meditation on existence. The line "rain prevents climbing" captures a mundane inconvenience reframed through poetic wisdom, exemplifying how Song literati infused natural phenomena with life philosophy. Here, frustration yields to harmony with nature, revealing the poet's evolution from political anxiety to serene acceptance.
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