Li Po

The Clear Cold Spring ~ A Poem by Li Po

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The Clear Cold Spring

Li Po

Regret that dropping sun’s dusk;

Love this cold stream’s clearness.

Western beams follow flowing water;

Stir a ripple in wandering person’s mind.

Idly sing, gazing at cloudy moon;

Song done—sound of tall pines.

Finding Stillness: Li Po’s Ancient Antidote to Modern Chaos

Can an 8th-century poem hold the secret to surviving the 21st-century digital grind?

Li Po’s “The Clear Cold Spring” is more than a nature study; it is a profound meditation on the human spirit’s need for presence. In contemporary society, we are the ultimate “wandering persons.” We live in a state of constant mental drift, pulled by notifications and the relentless “western beams” of progress. Li Po acknowledges the regret of passing time (the dropping sun) but finds a grounding anchor in the immediate—the cold stream’s clarity.

This poem applies to our modern lives as a call to recalibrate. We often try to drown out our anxiety with more noise, but Li Po suggests a different path: “idly sing” and then, more importantly, stop. The most striking moment occurs when the song ends and only the “sound of tall pines” remains. In our world of constant content creation, we have forgotten how to let the song end and simply listen to the world that exists without us. To find clarity today, we must be willing to sit with the silence that follows our own noise.

As you read this poem, ask yourself:

Where can you find your “clear cold spring” in a world that demands you never stop moving?

Green Mountain ~ A Poem by Li Po

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A World Apart: Finding Peace in Li Po’s Poetic Solitude

What if true peace isn’t found in answers—but in silence?

Green Mountain

Li Po

You ask me why I dwell in the green mountain;
I smile and make no reply for my heart is free of care.
As the peach-blossom flows down stream
and is gone into the unknown,
I have a world apart that is not among men.

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Reflection

Li Po’s Green Mountain whispers of a serene freedom only found in solitude. His choice to dwell in nature is not escape—it is arrival. The poet’s silence in response to the question reveals an answer that transcends words: a heart unburdened, untethered to the noise of the world. The flowing peach blossoms represent impermanence, while his presence in the mountains suggests timelessness. It is a gentle rebellion against worldly ambition, choosing inner peace over outer praise.

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As you read this poem, ask yourself:

What does “a world apart” mean to you—and where do you find that freedom?

Green Mountain ~ A Poem by Li Po

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The Quiet Wisdom of Green Mountain: Finding Peace Beyond Words

Sometimes the truest answers are the ones we don’t speak. Li Po’s “Green Mountain” invites us into a silence that restores the soul and connects us with something greater than ourselves.

Green Mountain

Li Po

You ask me why I live on Green Mountain ?
I smile in silence and the quiet mind.
Peach petals blow on mountain streams
To earths and skies beyond Humankind.

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Reflection

In Green Mountain, Li Po captures the sacred stillness that exists beyond human conversation. His smile and silence reveal not withdrawal but understanding—a wisdom that words cannot carry. The image of peach petals drifting on mountain streams reminds us that beauty and meaning often flow naturally when we stop trying to control them.

Li Po’s “quiet mind” isn’t empty; it’s full of awareness. In that calm, the boundaries between self and world blur. The mountain, the wind, the water—all merge into a single, tranquil truth. The poem teaches us that inner peace is not found by seeking answers but by dwelling in the wonder of the moment.

Question for Readers:

When have you felt a peace so deep that words seemed unnecessary? How did that silence speak to you?

Green Mountain ~ A Poem by Li Po

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Sometimes, the loudest wisdom is found in silence—and Li Po’s mountain is echoing with it.

Green Mountain

Li Po

You ask me why I dwell in the green mountain;
I smile and make no reply for my heart is free of care.
As the peach-blossom flows down stream and is gone into the unknown,
I have a world apart that is not among men.

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Reflection:

In just four lines, Li Po creates a sanctuary. His reply to the world isn’t an argument—it’s a smile. Sometimes, the greatest answer we can offer is to simply be where our hearts are most at peace, even if no one else understands the terrain.

❓ Three Reflective Questions:

  1. What might Li Po’s silence be saying louder than any words?
  2. Have you ever found your own version of a “green mountain”—a place apart where your heart feels free?
  3. What does the image of the peach blossom floating away suggest about how we live, let go, or move on?

Seeing Off a Friend ~ A Poem by Li Po

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Seeing Off a Friend

Li Po

Green hills above the northern wall,
White water winding east of the city.
On this spot our single act of parting,
The lonely tumbleweed journeys ten thousand li.
Drifting clouds echo the traveller’s thoughts,
The setting sun reflects my old friend’s feelings.
You wave your hand and set off from this place,
Your horse whinnies as it leaves.

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Clearing at Dawn ~ A Poem by Li Po

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Clearing at Dawn

Li Po

The fields are chill, the sparse rain has stopped;
The colours of Spring teem on every side.
With leaping fish the blue pond is full;
With singing thrushes the green boughs droop.
The flowers of the field have dabbled their powdered cheeks;
The mountain grasses are bent level at the waist.
By the bamboo stream the last fragment of cloud
Blown by the wind slowly scatters away.

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Thoughts on a Quiet Night ~ A Poem by Li Po

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Thoughts on a Quiet Night

Li Po

Moon-glitter

at the foot of my bedroll
seems on waking

to be feathers of frost.

I raise my head to gaze

at the glittering moon itself

then sink back

longing for home.

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Alone Looking at the Mountain ~ A Poem by Li Po

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Alone Looking at the Mountain

Li Po

All the birds have flown up and gone;
A lonely cloud floats leisurely by.
We never tire of looking at each other –
Only the mountain and I.

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Drinking Alone ~ Li Po

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Drinking Alone

 Li Po

 I take my wine jug out among the flowers
 to drink alone, without friends.

 I raise my cup to entice the moon.
 That, and my shadow, makes us three.

 But the moon doesn't drink,
 and my shadow silently follows.

 I will travel with moon and shadow,
 happy to the end of spring.

 When I sing, the moon dances.
 When I dance, my shadow dances, too.

 We share life's joys when sober.
 Drunk, each goes a separate way.

 Constant friends, although we wander,
 we'll meet again in the Milky Way.

Green Mountain ~ Li Po

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Green Mountain

You ask me why I dwell in the green mountain;
I smile and make no reply for my heart is free of care.
As the peach-blossom flows down stream
and is gone into the unknown,
I have a world apart that is not among men.

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