The Holy Spring Monastery
- Poetry of Zeng Gong
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.
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.
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。
- 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.
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- Written for My Grandnephew at the Blue Pass
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- South of Town II
- Multi-Vista Tower at Sweet Dew Temple
- River Thoughts for Wang Anshi
- Bamboos by South Veranda
- The Condensed Incense Studio
- Ten Thousand Thoughts a Day