黑云翻墨未遮山
Black clouds roll like spilled ink before hiding the hills;
白雨跳珠乱入船
White rain leaps like pearls, scattering into the boat.
卷地风来忽吹散
A ground-sweeping wind suddenly blows it all away;
望湖楼下水如天
Below Wanghu Tower, water opens like the sky.
What the poem means
Black clouds spread like ink and bright rain jumps into the boat like pearls. A sudden wind sweeps the storm away, opening a broad view of water and sky. The rhythm shifts from urgent to spacious.
Meet the poet
Su Shi was a Song poet. Black and white, quick motion and sudden openness capture a passing lake storm.
Su Shi · More poems →