Reply to County Officer Zhang
In later years I favour quiet alone;
The affairs of the world no longer claim my heart.
I look within and find no far-reaching plan;
I know only how to return to my old woods.
Pine wind blows as I loosen my belt;
Mountain moonlight shines as I play the qin.
You ask about obscurity and success;
A fisherman’s song enters the depths of the inlet.
Notes
Chou means a poetic reply. Shaofu was a title for a local official; the recipient’s exact identity is uncertain. A far-reaching plan suggests public affairs; the old woods evoke retreat. Qiong and tong mean adversity and success. The qin is a Chinese zither.
Meaning
In reply to a friend, the poet turns from worldly affairs to a quiet mountain scene, ending a question about success and adversity with a fisherman’s song.
Appreciation
The opening states a love of quiet, while the admission of having no grand plan adds a note of self-reflection.
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Pine wind, loosened clothing, moonlight and the qin create an unhurried scene.
Asked about success and adversity, the speaker offers no explicit argument; a fisherman’s song carries the poem to its close.
The ending can suggest a preference for quiet while leaving room for more than one interpretation.
About the poet
Wang Wei (c. 701–761), courtesy name Mojie, was a Tang poet, painter and official whose family originated near present-day Qixian, Shanxi.
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He served in government and spent time at Wangchuan; poems exchanged with Pei Di are well known.
His works also include Deer Enclosure and Seeing Yuan Er Off to Anxi.