Peach Blossom Stream
A high bridge appears faintly beyond the mist;
West of the rocky bank I question a fishing boat.
Peach blossoms drift on the stream all day:
Where along this clear water is the cave?
Notes
A flying bridge is a high bridge. The rocky bank projects into the water. The cave alludes to Tao Yuanming’s Peach Blossom Spring, where a fisherman discovers a secluded community.
Meaning
A misty bridge and drifting blossoms prompt the speaker to ask a fisherman where the legendary cave might be.
Appreciation
A bridge half-seen through mist establishes a hazy setting.
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The view turns into an action as the speaker questions a fisherman.
Drifting blossoms recall Peach Blossom Spring without proving that its cave is nearby.
The unanswered question joins an observed stream to a legendary imagined place.
About the poet
Zhang Xu, courtesy name Bogao, was a Tang calligrapher and poet from Wu; his dates are uncertain.
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Zhang Xu was celebrated for cursive calligraphy and served as an official at Changshu. Poems associated with him include Peach Blossom Stream; some biographical and attribution details remain uncertain.