Autumn Pond

Bai JuyiJinzhang Book Company (Jinzhang Shuju) · ChinaJun 2024

3.8

Word count: 4K words
Chapters: 48

Summary

Washing waves, clear wind pierces the water frost; by the water I sit at leisure on a rope bed. Eye dust and heart grime—all seen through and gone; this is no autumn pool, it is a place of practice.

Editor's review

Bai Juyi's “Autumn Pool” has only four lines, yet it turns a moment of sitting by the water into clarity of mind. The first line, “Washing waves, clear wind pierces the water frost,” spreads out the cool texture of the autumn pool; the second, “by the water I sit at leisure on a rope bed,” is extremely spare in diction, as person, bed, water, and wind form an open, uncluttered picture. The last two lines turn inward: “Eye dust and heart grime—all seen through and gone” is not abstract argument but arises naturally from the real scene of the first two lines, and the closing line, “this is no autumn pool, it is a place of practice,” elevates an ordinary scene into a place for cultivating the mind, ending cleanly with resonance. This book was printed by Shanghai Jinzhang Book Company; it is short and suitable as introductory reading in classical poetry and for quiet reading. Readers can turn to a poem during a commute or before sleep, using a small poem to slow the pace and appreciate how Tang poets settled body and mind amid ordinary scenery.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who like short classical poems and wish to read quietly in fragments of time
Beginning readers interested in Chan spirit and nature themes in Tang poetry
Office workers who need a light read to adjust the rhythm of daily life
Primary and secondary school Chinese teachers looking for supplementary poem examples for class

Not a good fit for

Researchers of classical literature expecting lengthy annotations or detailed scholarly textual criticism
Readers who prefer plot-driven narrative and lack patience for short lyric poems
Test-preparation readers who need large collections of pieces for systematic study

Reading tips

First read the whole poem twice without explanation; note your first impression, then return to the words.
Read aloud slowly, noting how verbs such as “wash,” “pierce,” and “gone” change the picture.
After reading, copy the line “this is no autumn pool, it is a place of practice” once and write two or three sentences of reflection based on your own experience.

About the publisher

Jinzhang Book Company (Jinzhang Shuju) China · Founded in 1901

Jinzhang Book Company (Jinzhang Shuju) was a private publishing and distribution house in Shanghai during the late Qing and early Republican periods, issuing traditional works by lithographic printing. Judging from the 1,194 titles in the collection, its publishing focused on classical poetry, Eastern philosophy, historical reading, traditional Chinese medical texts, and canonical works, along with books on literary appreciation. Representative titles include the poetry and prose collections of Du Fu and Ouyang Xiu; historical works such as the Book of Han and Zizhi Tongjian; classical texts such as the Book of Documents and Mencius; and specialized and literary classics such as Treatise on Cold Damage and Li Sao. Its author resources cover major figures across the ages, including Du Fu, Ban Gu, Sima Guang, Zhang Zhongjing, Qu Yuan, Ouyang Xiu, and Tang Shenwei, reflecting the house's characteristic reliance on traditional scholarship and medical literature while serving general readers. Public information on its early history and operational details is limited, so no conjecture is offered here.

版权信息
【僧舍白牡丹二首】吴融
卷686_68【八月十五夜禁直寄同僚】吴融
卷686_69【上巳日花下闲看】吴融
卷686_70【禅院弈棋偶题】吴融
卷686_71【和张舍人】吴融
卷686_72【送友赴阙】吴融
卷686_73【过邓城县作】吴融
卷686_74【文德初闻车驾东游】吴融
卷686_75【子规】吴融
卷686_76【简州归降贺京兆公】吴融
卷686_77【登汉州城楼】吴融
卷686_78【岐下寓居见槐花落因寄从事】吴融
卷686_79【和人有感】吴融
卷687_1【春归次金陵】吴融
卷687_2【途中见杏花】吴融
卷687_3【秋日经别墅】吴融
卷687_4【红叶】吴融
卷687_5【离霅溪感事献郑员外】吴融
卷687_6【岐州安西门】吴融
卷687_7【关西驿亭即事】吴融
卷687_8【望嵩山】吴融
卷687_9【题湖城县西道中槐树】吴融
卷687_10【东归次瀛上】吴融
卷687_11【偶书】吴融
卷687_12【得京中亲友书，讶久无音耗，以诗代谢】吴融
卷687_13【即事】吴融
卷687_14【病中宜茯苓寄李谏议】吴融
卷687_15【槎】吴融
卷687_16【汴上观】吴融
卷687_17【闲居有作】吴融
卷687_18【离岐下题西湖】吴融
卷687_19【岐阳蒙相国对宅因抒怀投献】吴融
卷687_20【晚泊松江】吴融
卷687_21【过渑池书事】吴融
卷687_22【富春】吴融
卷687_23【高侍御话及皮博士池中白莲因成一章寄博士兼奉呈】吴融
卷687_29【忆猿】吴融
卷687_30【红树】吴融
卷687_31【新雁】吴融
卷687_32【海上秋怀】吴融
卷687_33【忆山泉】吴融
卷687_34【东归望华山】吴融
卷687_35【游华州飞泉亭】吴融
卷687_36【池上双凫二首】吴融
卷687_37【叶落】吴融
卷687_38【和皮博士赴上京观中修灵斋赠威仪尊师兼见寄】吴融
卷687_39【春雨】吴融

FAQ

This poem has only four lines; is it worth buying separately to read?

Though short, the four lines present a complete movement from scenery to mind. If you are used to slow reading, a small poem can be chewed over repeatedly; read in a quiet setting, and the gain lies not in length. It is better as a light desk book to browse than as a systematic anthology.

How should “this is no autumn pool, it is a place of practice” be understood?

A place of practice originally means a place for spiritual cultivation; here the poet regards sitting by the autumn pool as a place for cultivating the mind. The previous line says eye dust and heart grime have all been seen through, and the last line points out that the pool before him is no longer merely scenery but a place where the mind can settle. Understand it together with the cool picture of the first two lines.

Can I read it without a foundation in classical Chinese?

Yes. The diction is not obscure and the imagery is strong. Read first by feel, then use annotations to understand individual words. It is best to start by reading aloud rather than translating word by word from the beginning; first feel the rhythm and mood.

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About the author

Bai Juyi Author · Chinese

Bai Juyi (772–846), courtesy name Letian and styled Xiangshan Jushi, was born in Xinzheng, Henan, with ancestral roots in Taiyuan. A leading Tang dynasty realist poet, he championed the New Yuefu movement together with Yuan Zhen, and the two were known as "Yuan-Bai"; he is also paired with Liu Yuxi as "Liu-Bai." Bai Juyi served as a Hanlin academician and Left Remonstrator, among other posts. His wide-ranging work includes satirical poems on the hardships of ordinary people and long narrative and lyrical songs. Masterpieces such as "Song of Everlasting Sorrow," "Song of the Pipa," and "The Charcoal Seller" are noted for their plain, natural language and sincere feeling, and have exerted a lasting influence on later poetry. His Bai Shi Changqing Collection survives, and this library holds 77 of his works, including poems, prose collections, and verse groups such as Poems from Qin and Spring by the Xunyang River, commonly classed under ancient poetry, classic works, and inspirational growth.