終南別業:Villa On Mount Zhong Nan (by 王維 Wang Wei)

*poem mentioned in Chaos of Beauty chapter thirty

{{Villa On Mount Zhong Nan}}

Inclined towards the good path during middle-aged years, _{(Good path refers to Buddhist beliefs)}

[Thus] later years spent resting in the southern mountains.

When the interest arises, I wander alone,

Happy moments emptily known to me only.

Walking up to where the stream ends,

It is time to sit and watch the rising of clouds.

Occasionally meeting the old man in the forest,

Laughing and chatting to no limits of when to return home.

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《終南別業》        《Zhōng Nán Bié Yè》

中歲頗好道，           (Zhōng suì pō hǎo dào)

晚家南山垂。           (Wǎn jiā nán shān chuí)

興來每獨往，           (Xìng lái měi dú wǎng)

勝事空自知。           (Shèng shì kōng zì zhī)

行到水窮處，           (Xíng dào shuǐ qióng chù)

坐看雲起時。           (Zuò kàn yún qǐ shí)

偶然值林叟，           (Ǒu rán zhí lín sǒu)

談笑無還期。           (Tán xiào wú huán qí)

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The villa on Mount Zhong Nan is about Tang Dynasty poet’s Wang Wei’s villa in a little village called Wǎng Chuān / 輞川. This poem reads smoothly like roaming clouds, flowing water, filled with Wang Wei’s weariness of officialdom, living a secluded life in Zhong Nan filled with feelings of pleasure.

Since reaching his middle age, Wang Wei grew very fond of Buddhist beliefs, up until his later years, where he decided to live a solitary life in Mount Zhong Nan, peacefully cultivating his mind.

The poem expresses his profound and free lifestyle in the mountains, between the clear wind and white clouds, it looks as though there is nothing at all, but in actuality, there is everything.

Poem and explanation translated from: http://www.minghui-school.org/school/article/2005/3/20/41891.html and http://mypaper.pchome.com.tw/ytjiang/post/1329449778