Reading The Book of Mountains and Seas I
- Poetry of Tao Yuanming

《读山海经 · 其一》

Reading The Book of Mountains and Seas I by Tao Yuanming

English Translation

When elders talked of bygone years,

Displeased, I would shut up my ears.

But fifty years have gone by now,

And time writes wrinkles on my brow.

I would recall youthful delight,

But I can find no pleasure slight.

Far, far away are bygone days.

Could I relive in olden ways?

To drink my fill I'd spare no gold;

I would keep pace with days grown old.

I'd leave no money for my sons;

There's no need if they're worthy ones.

Composed after Tao Yuanming's resignation from officialdom and retirement to countryside life, this poem serves as the opening piece in his thirteen-poem series inspired by The Classic of Mountains and Seas—an ancient compendium of mythical geography. While the text contains fantastical accounts, Tao adopts it as spiritual reading material, blending literary engagement with natural living to express the joys of seclusion and transcendent mindset. Though removed from worldly bustle, his vision expands beyond the cosmos, transcending personal gains and losses to dwell contentedly between landscapes and ancient texts, presenting an idealized vision of liberated existence.

中文原文( Chinese )

孟夏草木长，绕屋树扶疏。

众鸟欣有托，吾亦爱吾庐。

既耕亦已种，时还读我书。

穷巷隔深辙，颇回故人车。

欢言酌春酒，摘我园中蔬。

微雨从东来，好风与之俱。

泛览《周王传》，流观《山海》图。

俯仰终宇宙，不乐复何如？

Pre： An Elegy for Myself I

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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.

Reading The Book of Mountains and Seas I - Poetry of Tao Yuanming

Reading The Book of Mountains and Seas I
- Poetry of Tao Yuanming