Climbing Mount Lan in Autumn: To Zhang Wu
Within white clouds on the northern mountain,
The recluse finds his own delight.
I climb to look toward you;
My thoughts follow the geese until they vanish.
Sorrow rises with approaching dusk;
Inspiration comes from the clear autumn.
Now and then I see villagers returning,
Walking on sand and resting at the ferry.
Trees on the horizon look like tiny shepherd’s purse;
An islet beside the river resembles a moon.
When will you come carrying wine,
So we may drink together at Double Ninth?
Notes
The mountain name has textual variants, and Zhang Wu’s precise identity is debated. Trees on the horizon look tiny like shepherd’s purse; the river islet has a variant reading as a boat. Double Ninth falls on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month.
Meaning
Climbing in autumn, the poet looks toward a friend, sees villagers and the river landscape, and invites him to meet at Double Ninth.
Appreciation
Clouds and climbing introduce a distant friend; geese carry the gaze beyond sight.
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Dusk brings sorrow while clear autumn brings inspiration, allowing feelings to coexist.
Villagers, ferry, trees and an islet build the view from near to far.
The poem ends with a festival invitation; names and some readings remain debated.
About the poet
Meng Haoran (689–740) was a Tang poet from the area of present-day Xiangyang, Hubei.
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He traveled widely and wrote about landscapes, rural life and journeys.
He is often associated with Wang Wei; his surviving works include Spring Morning, Passing an Old Friend’s Farm, and Mooring on the Jiande River.