After Rain at the River Crossing
- Poetry of Liu Zongyuan

《雨晴至江渡》

After Rain at the River Crossing by Liu Zongyuan

English Translation

River rains clear—I long to roam,

Westward to Yu Creek alone I come.

At the crossing, fallen waters show village lanes,

Chaotic rafts stranded in trees' domains.

Composed during Liu Zongyuan's Yongzhou exile (circa 811 CE), this poem documents both ecological catastrophe and philosophical reckoning. Following torrential rains that devastated his self-designed "Eight Follies" garden complex—including the washed-away Fool's Pavilion (愚亭)—the work transforms flood debris into metaphysical coordinates. The floating timber lodged in treetops becomes a stark measure of nature's indifference to human aspiration, reflecting Liu's deepening meditation on futility and resilience during his decade-long banishment.

中文原文( Chinese )

江雨初晴思远步，日西独向愚溪渡。

渡头水落村径成，撩乱浮槎在高树。

Pre： Dawn Visit to Yu Pool with Hermit Xie

Next：Villager's Song III

Why Chinese poems is so special?: The most distinctive features of Chinese poetry are: concision- many poems are only four lines, and few are much longer than eight; ambiguity- number, tense and parts of speech are often undetermined, creating particularly rich interpretative possibilities; and structure- most poems follow quite strict formal patterns which have beauty in themselves as well as highlighting meaningful contrasts.

How to read a Chinese poem?: Like an English poem, but more so. Everything is there for a reason, so try to find that reason. Think about all the possible connotations, and be aware of the different possibilities of number and tense. Look for contrasts: within lines, between the lines of each couplet and between successive couplets. Above all, don't worry about what the poet meant- find your meaning.

After Rain at the River Crossing - Poetry of Liu Zongyuan

After Rain at the River Crossing
- Poetry of Liu Zongyuan