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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

白云泉

White Cloud Spring

白居易

Bai Juyi

写景Scenery 咏物Object-chanting 闲适Leisure / ease

天平山上白云泉，云自无心水自闲。
何必奔冲山下去，更添波浪向人间。

On Tianping Mountain there is the White Cloud Spring; the clouds are heedless, the water at ease.
Why must it rush and dash down the mountain, adding more waves to the human world?
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Meaning

The poem describes the White Cloud Spring on Tianping Mountain, where clouds drift without purpose and water flows at leisure. The speaker asks why the spring must rush downhill to add yet more turmoil to the already troubled human world—expressing a wish to remain aloof, heedless and at ease like the cloud and water.

天平山上的白云泉，云自在地飘着，水自在地流着。何必奔流冲下山去，再给人间增添波浪呢？

Appreciation

This is a celebrated quatrain in which Bai Juyi uses the spring to voice his intent. The first couplet paints the scene—clouds and water in natural ease; the second turns the scene into a rhetorical question that declines worldly involvement. Through the imagery of the 'heedless cloud' and 'at-ease water,' the poet conveys his late-life attitude of contentment and harmony, avoiding the stir of the human world. The poem is a model of symbolic, leisurely verse.

【白话串讲】 白居易写《白云泉》：“天平山上白云泉，云自无心水自闲”——“何必奔冲山下去，更添波浪向人间”——他劝泉水别奔下山去添波浪——他写远离尘世的闲。 【意象与手法】 此诗是白居易咏天平山白云泉的诗，以泉水的「无心」「自闲」写闲适之志，是白居易咏物言志的名篇。首句「天平山上白云泉」写白云泉的所在——天平山（苏州）上、白云之间，写泉的清幽；次句「云自无心水自闲」写云水的无心自闲——那「无心」写云的不系、「自闲」写水的闲适，以两个「自」字写云水的自在，是千古名句；三句「何必奔冲山下去」以反问写泉水何必下山——那「奔冲」写泉水的奔流，「山下」写尘世；末句「更添波浪向人间」写泉下山则添人间波浪——那「波浪」既写水的波浪，也暗喻人间的纷扰，是千古名句。全诗以云水的「无心」「自闲」写诗人的闲适之志，以「何必奔冲山下去，更添波浪向人间」写对尘世纷扰的回避，借咏泉以言志，含蓄深婉，是白居易咏物言志的名篇。 【情感与主旨】 此诗作于唐敬宗宝历年间（825—827），时白居易任苏州刺史（一说作于其晚年闲居洛阳时）。白居易历任要职，历经宦海浮沉，晚年趋于闲适，崇奉佛道，自号「香山居士」。此诗咏天平山白云泉——天平山在苏州，白云泉是天平山的名泉。那「天平山上白云泉」写泉在云山之间，那「云自无心水自闲」写云水无心自闲的闲适，那「何必奔冲山下去，更添波浪向人间」以反问写泉水不必下山——那泉水流下山去，便要奔流、要添波浪，正如人入尘世便要奔波、要添纷扰；那「何必」写尽对尘世纷扰的回避。全诗借咏泉以言志——诗人愿如白云泉般「无心」「自闲」，不愿如奔泉般投入人间的波浪，是白居易闲适诗的代表作，也是其晚年「知足保和」人生态度的写照。 【名句点睛】 常考“云自无心水自闲”以两个“自”字写云水的自在；“何必奔冲山下去，更添波浪向人间”以泉喻人，写远离尘世的闲适。

Background

This poem chants the White Cloud Spring on Tianping Mountain, written during the Baoli era of Emperor Jingzong of Tang (825–827), when Bai Juyi served as Governor of Suzhou (some say it was written in his late-life retirement in Luoyang). Bai Juyi (772–846), styled Letian, also known as Xiangshan Jushi, was a great realist poet of the Tang and a leader of the New Yuefu movement. Having held posts such as Reminder, Prefect of Jiangzhou, Hangzhou, and Suzhou, and weathered political ups and downs (once demoted to Jiangzhou for memorializing on affairs), he turned to leisure in later life, embracing Buddhism and Daoism. Tianping Mountain lies southwest of Suzhou, a famed Jiangnan peak; the White Cloud Spring is its famous spring, clear and sweet. When Bai visited Tianping as Governor of Suzhou, he wrote this poem. 'The clouds are heedless, the water at ease' captures the natural, untroubled state of cloud and water, using two 'zi' (self) characters to express their freedom; the rhetorical close declines the world's turmoil.

此诗是白居易咏天平山白云泉的诗，作于唐敬宗宝历年间（825—827），时白居易任苏州刺史（一说作于其晚年闲居洛阳时）。白居易（772—846），字乐天，号香山居士，又号醉吟先生，太原（一说下邽）人，唐代伟大的现实主义诗人，新乐府运动的倡导者。他一生历任左拾遗、江州司马、杭州刺史、苏州刺史等职，中年后历经宦海浮沉（曾因上疏言事被贬江州），晚年趋于闲适，崇奉佛道。天平山在苏州（今江苏苏州）西南，是江南名山，白云泉是天平山的名泉，水出山岩，清冽甘美。白居易任苏州刺史时游天平山，咏白云泉。诗中「天平山上白云泉」写白云泉的所在——天平山上、白云之间，写泉的清幽；「云自无心水自闲」写云水的无心自闲——那「无心」写云的不系（白云无心，随风舒卷），那「自闲」写水的闲适（泉水自流，从容不迫），以两个「自」字写云水的自在；「何必奔冲山下去，更添波浪向人间」以反问写泉水不必下山——那泉水流下山去，便要奔流冲激、添人间波浪，正如人入尘世便要奔波、添纷扰。全诗借咏泉以言志，是白居易闲适诗的代表作。

Art

The artistry can be read on four levels. First, the use of 'zi' (self) for freedom: 'the clouds are heedless, the water at ease' repeats 'zi' twice—clouds untethered, water unhurried—capturing perfect ease, a famous line. Second, the symbolic design: the whole poem chants the spring yet voices intent—the heedless, at-ease cloud and water represent the poet's yearned-for state; the rhetorical question declines worldly turmoil. Third, the rhetorical question for wit: 'Why must it rush down the mountain, adding waves to the human world' personifies the spring and expresses avoidance of the world with buoyant wit. Fourth, the pure imagery—'Tianping Mountain,' 'White Cloud Spring,' 'cloud,' 'water'—lucid and serene, embodying both the spring's clarity and the poet's leisure. These four levels make this seven-character quatrain a masterwork of symbolic leisure verse.

此诗的艺术特色可从四个层面解析。其一，以「自」字写自在。次句「云自无心水自闲」连用两个「自」字——那「云自无心」写云的无所系缚（无心舒卷），那「水自闲」写水的从容闲适，两个「自」字写尽云水的自在自得，是千古名句。其二，托物言志的构思。全诗咏白云泉，实为言志——那「云自无心水自闲」写诗人向往的无心自闲之境，那「何必奔冲山下去，更添波浪向人间」写诗人对尘世纷扰的回避，借咏泉以言志，含蓄深婉。其三，以反问写机趣。「何必奔冲山下去，更添波浪向人间」以反问写泉水不必下山——那「何必」的反问，以泉拟人，写尽泉水（也是诗人）对尘世的回避，机趣横生，是千古名句。其四，意象的明净。「天平山」「白云泉」「云」「水」等意象，明净清幽，写尽白云泉的清幽之境，也写尽诗人向往的闲适之境。四重手法，使这首七绝以咏泉言志，借云水的无心自闲写诗人的闲适之志，正是白居易咏物言志与闲适诗的本领。

Allusions

The language is rooted in the landscape and reclusion tradition. 'White Cloud Spring on Tianping Mountain' evokes Tao Hongjing's 'What is on the mountain? Many white clouds on the ridge'—both use the cloud to signify reclusion; 'white cloud' also recalls Du Mu's 'a household deep in white clouds' and Jia Dao's 'deep in clouds, none knows the place.' 'The clouds are heedless, the water at ease' draws on Tao Yuanming's 'clouds drift heedless from the peak' and Du Fu's 'the water flows, the heart competes not'—cloud heedless, water at ease, the state of 'no attachment.' 'Why rush down the mountain' echoes Li Bai's 'the Yellow River's waters come from heaven, rushing to the sea never to return,' and 'waves toward the human world' recalls the ancient refrain 'the Canglang's waters are muddy, let me wash my feet,' also a metaphor for worldly turmoil. The poem weaves these landscape-reclusion images into a symbolic statement of leisure.

此诗的用语深植于山水与隐逸传统。「天平山上白云泉」写白云泉——那「白云」令人想到「山中何所有？岭上多白云」（陶弘景《诏问山中何所有赋诗以答》）的白云意象——陶弘景以「岭上多白云」写隐逸，白居易以「天平山上白云泉」写泉在云间，正是同一隐逸传统；那「白云泉」令人想到「白云深处有人家」（杜牧《山行》）的云居意象，也令人想到「云深不知处」（贾岛《寻隐者不遇》）的云隐传统；「云自无心水自闲」写云水的无心自闲——那「无心」令人想到「无心出岫」（陶渊明《归去来兮辞》「云无心以出岫」）的云意象，那「水自闲」令人想到「水流心不竞」（杜甫《江亭》）的闲适意象，云无心、水自闲，正是「心无挂碍」的闲适之境；「何必奔冲山下去，更添波浪向人间」写泉不下山——那「奔冲」令人想到「黄河之水天上来，奔流到海不复回」（李白《将进酒》）的奔流意象，那「波浪向人间」令人想到「沧浪之水浊兮，可以濯我足」（《孟子》引古谣）的人间沧浪意象，也暗喻人间的纷扰波澜。全诗化用陶弘景、陶渊明、杜甫、李白等山水隐逸的意象与传统，以咏泉言志，借云水的无心自闲写诗人的闲适之志，正是白居易「托物言志」的本领——那白云泉的无心自闲，正是诗人向往的「知足保和」之境。

Commentary

This poem has long been hailed as a representative of Bai Juyi's leisure and symbolic verse, and a classic of Chinese spring-chanting and intent-voicing poetry. Critics praise it highly: a Qing commentator called it 'symbolic intent, leisure to the bone'; modern scholars note the two 'zi' characters and the rhetorical question as quintessential Bai. Its special value lies in capturing Bai's late-life ease—the cloud and water as a state of mind, the rhetorical decline of the world's turmoil. The phrase 'waves toward the human world' is a double entendre, both water waves and worldly strife. 'The clouds are heedless, the water at ease' and 'why rush down the mountain' are immortal lines. It pairs with his 'Peach Blossoms at the Great Forest Temple' and 'To Liu Nineteen' as masterworks of leisure verse. For today's readers it is a window into Bai's late-life mind and a classic of spring-symbolism.

此诗历来被推为白居易闲适诗与咏物言志诗的代表作，也是中国诗歌写泉与言志的经典。历代论者对此诗评价极高：清人评此诗「托物言志，闲适入骨」；近人更指出「云自无心水自闲」以两个「自」字写云水的自在，「何必奔冲山下去，更添波浪向人间」以反问写对尘世纷扰的回避，是白居易闲适诗的代表。在文学史上，此诗的特殊价值在于：它以咏泉言志，写出了白居易晚年的闲适心境——那「云自无心水自闲」写尽诗人向往的无心自闲之境，那「何必奔冲山下去，更添波浪向人间」以反问写尽诗人对尘世纷扰的回避——泉水流下山去便要奔流添浪，正如人入尘世便要奔波添扰，那「何必」写尽「知足保和」的人生态度；那「波浪向人间」的「波浪」一语双关，既写水波，也暗喻人间的纷扰，含蓄深婉。诗中「云自无心水自闲」「何必奔冲山下去，更添波浪向人间」都是千古名句。此诗与白居易的《大林寺桃花》（「长恨春归无觅处」）同为其游山水时的名篇，又与《问刘十九》（「晚来天欲雪，能饮一杯无」）同为其闲适诗的代表。对于今日读者，此诗是理解白居易晚年闲适心境的窗口，也是中国诗歌咏泉言志的经典——那天平山的白云泉、无心的云、自闲的水，穿越千年，仍在诉说着「无心自闲」的闲适之境。

Prosody

Form Seven-character quatrain (oblique-register opening, level tone closes, first line enters rhyme)七言绝句（仄起平收，首句入韵）
Rhyme Rhymes with the level-tone shan rhyme (quan, xian, jian), one rhyme throughout; its clear, leisurely sound fits the spring's ease.全诗押平声删韵（泉、闲、间），一韵到底，韵音清闲，正合白云泉的闲适。
Tone pattern A seven-character quatrain of twenty-eight characters in level rhyme. Two couplets: the first depicts the spring (mountain spring, cloud and water at ease); the second rhetorically states the reclusive intent. The first couplet is slow with 'heedless' and 'at ease'; the second tightens with 'why must' and 'rush,' fitting the wit of avoidance.此诗为七言绝句，四句二十八字，押平声韵。全诗按内容可分为两联：前联写白云泉的景象（天平山上白云泉、云自无心水自闲）；后联以反问写避世之志（何必奔冲山下去、更添波浪向人间）。声调上，前联以「无心」「自闲」写云水的闲适，节奏舒缓；后联以「何必」「奔冲」写反问，节奏转紧，正合避世的机趣。
Reading note A famous seven-character quatrain chanting the spring to voice intent, using 'zi' for the cloud-water's freedom and a rhetorical question for reclusive intent. Four lines: first couplet scene, second couplet intent. Slow in the front, tightening in the back. Read the front with ease, the back with buoyant wit, especially the closing lines with lingering depth, to convey Bai's leisurely intent. Bai's poetry is known for plainness; this is a classic of his symbolic leisure verse.此诗是七言绝句咏泉言志的名篇，以「自」字写云水的自在、以反问写避世之志，正是白居易闲适诗与托物言志的本领。全诗四句：前联写景（天平山上白云泉、云自无心水自闲），后联言志（何必奔冲山下去、更添波浪向人间）。声调上，前联节奏舒缓，写云水的闲适；后联以「何必」反问，节奏转紧，那「云自无心水自闲」的闲适、「更添波浪向人间」的机趣，正是白居易写闲适的深意。诵读此诗，宜以舒缓的语调读前联的闲适，以机趣的语调读后联的反问，尤其「何必奔冲山下去，更添波浪向人间」两句，要读得悠然而有深意，方能传达出白居易借泉言志的闲适情怀。白居易诗以平易著称，此诗正是其咏物言志与闲适诗的经典。

Line by line

云自无心水自闲。

The clouds are heedless, the water at ease. (Note: A famous line using two 'zi' (self) characters to capture the cloud's untroubled drifting and the water's leisurely flow, embodying the ideal of ease. 'Heedless' means unburdened by things, 'at ease' means unhurried self-contentment—together the poet's desired realm of freedom from worldly ties.)

云自在地飘着，水自在地流着，都无心无虑、从容闲适。

The cloud of itself is mindless, the water of itself at ease.

这句是写云水自在的名句，也是千古名句，以两个「自」字写云水的无心自闲，写尽闲适之境。「云自无心水自闲」写云无心、水自闲——那「云自无心」写云的无所系缚（白云无心，随风舒卷，不知何往），那「水自闲」写水的从容闲适（泉水自流，不急不躁）；两个「自」字，写尽云水的自在自得——云无心而自在，水自闲而从容。这句的深意在于：它以「无心」「自闲」写出了诗人向往的闲适之境——那「无心」是心无挂碍、不系于物（云无心以出岫，陶渊明语），那「自闲」是从容不迫、自得其乐；云自无心、水自闲，正是诗人理想的境界——不被尘世所系、不为名利所扰，如云水般自在。而那「自」字的连用，更写尽云水的「自」在——它们的无心自闲不是外物所迫，而是出于本性，正是「无为」的写照。以「无心」写云、以「自闲」写水，正是白居易写闲适之境的本领，也让这句成为写云水与闲适的千古名句。

This line is the famous line of the cloud and water's freedom, and a famous line of a thousand ages, using the two words of itself to write the cloud's mindlessness and the water's ease, to the full the realm of leisure. The cloud of itself is mindless writes the cloud's freedom (the white cloud mindless, spreading and rolling on the wind, not knowing whither); the water of itself at ease writes the water's composure (the spring flowing of itself, not urgent); the two words of itself write to the full the cloud and water's self-delight - the cloud mindless and free, the water at ease and composed. The deep meaning lies in that it uses mindless and at ease to write the leisure the poet longs for - mindless means the heart without hindrance, not bound to things (the cloud mindless comes from the hollow, Tao Yuanming's words); at ease means composed, delighting in itself. The cloud mindless, the water at ease, exactly the poet's ideal realm - not bound by the dusty world, not troubled by fame and gain, free as cloud and water. And the reduplicated of itself further writes the cloud and water's freedom - their mindless ease is not forced from without, but from their nature, exactly the picture of wu-wei. Writing the cloud through mindless and the water through at ease, exactly Bai Juyi's craft of the leisure realm, making this line the famous line of a thousand ages of cloud and water and leisure.

何必奔冲山下去，更添波浪向人间。

Why must it rush and dash down the mountain, adding more waves to the human world? (Note: The thematic line, a rhetorical question personifying the spring to decline worldly turmoil. 'Waves' is a double entendre—both water waves and human strife. The spring rushing down mirrors a person entering the world and adding trouble; the 'why must' expresses the poet's wish to remain aloof like the cloud and water, embodying his attitude of contentment and harmony.)

何必奔流冲下山去，再给人间增添波浪呢？

Why must it rush and dash down the hill, adding yet more waves to the world of men?

这句是全诗的点题之笔，也是千古名句，以反问写对尘世纷扰的回避，托物言志，含蓄深婉。「何必奔冲山下去」以反问写泉水不必下山——那「何必」的反问写泉水何必奔流冲下山去，那「奔冲」写泉水的奔流冲激；「更添波浪向人间」写下山则添人间波浪——那「波浪」一语双关，既写水的波浪，也暗喻人间的纷扰，泉水流下山去，便要在人间添起波浪。这句的深意在于：它以泉喻人、托物言志——那泉流下山去，便要奔流、要添波浪，正如人投入尘世，便要奔波、要添纷扰；那「何必奔冲山下去」的「何必」，写尽诗人对尘世纷扰的回避——与其奔流入世、添人间波浪，不如如白云泉般留在云山之间，无心自闲。而那「波浪向人间」的「波浪」，更以双关写尽人间的纷扰波澜——那奔泉入世所添的，正是人间的纷扰；那「何必」的反问，正是诗人「知足保和」的人生态度。以「奔冲」写奔流、以「波浪」写双关、以「何必」写回避，正是白居易托物言志的本领，也让这句成为写闲适与避世的千古名句。

This line points out the title and is a famous line of a thousand ages, using a question to write the shunning of the world's turmoil, lending the object to speak the will, reserved and deep-tender. Why must it rush and dash down the hill uses the question to write that the spring need not descend; the words rush and dash write the spring's rushing. Adding yet more waves to the world of men writes that descending adds the world's waves, the word waves a double meaning, at once the water's waves and the world's turmoil; the spring flowing down would raise waves in the world. The deep meaning lies in that it uses the spring to meta-phor man, lending the object to speak the will - the spring flowing down would rush and raise waves, exactly as man entering the dusty world would hasten and add turmoil. The why of why must it rush and dash down the hill writes to the full the poet's shunning of the world's turmoil - rather than rush into the world and add waves to men, better stay among the cloud hills like the Baiyun Spring, mindless and at ease. And the waves of waves to the world, in double meaning, write to the full the world's surging turmoil - what the rushing spring entering the world adds is exactly the world's turmoil; the question of why is exactly the poet's life attitude of being content and keeping harmony. Writing the rush through rush and dash, the double meaning through waves, and the shunning through why, exactly Bai Juyi's craft of lending the object to speak the will, making this line the famous line of a thousand ages of leisure and world-shunning.

Study

Word focus

自 'Self / naturally.' The keyword of the cloud-water's freedom, the two 'zi' capture their heedless ease. Bai uses 'the clouds are heedless, the water at ease'—'zi' means both 'of themselves' (natural, not forced) and 'self-content' (finding joy in themselves). It writes the cloud and water as naturally so, out of their own nature, and as self-delighted. Replacing it with 'ben' or 'ren' would lose the sense of naturalness or self-contentment; only 'zi' captures both, pairing with the reclusive close. 「自」字是写云水自在的关键字，两个「自」字写尽云水的无心自闲，是「云自无心水自闲」的词眼。自者，自己、自然、自在也。白居易以「云自无心水自闲」写云水，两个「自」字，至少有双重意味：其一，写云水之自然——那「云自无心」写云自然无心，「水自闲」写水自然闲适，「自」字写尽云水的自然而然——不是外物所迫，而是出于本性，那「自」字写尽云水的自在；其二，写闲适之自得——那「自」字写云水的自得其乐——云无心而自适，水自流而自闲，两个「自」字写尽云水的自在自得。以「自」字写云水，正是白居易写闲适之境的关键——若换作「本」「任」等字，则或失其「自然而然」的意味，或失其「自在自得」的情态；唯「自」字，以两个字写尽云水的无心自闲与自在自得，与「何必奔冲山下去」的避世相合，写尽诗人向往的闲适之境，也让「云自无心水自闲」成为写云水与闲适的千古名句。
闲 'At ease / leisurely.' The keyword for the water's manner, one 'xian' captures the water's unhurried composure. It means both the water's calm flow (unlike a rushing torrent) and the poet's yearned-for leisurely mind. 'Water at ease' is both the spring's portrait and the poet's self-portrait (wishing to be as easeful as water). Replacing with 'jing' or 'huan' would lose the leisurely affect or its echo with 'heedless'; only 'xian' captures both the water's composure and the mind's ease. 「闲」字是写泉水情态的关键字，一个「闲」字写尽水的从容闲适，是「水自闲」的词眼。闲者，闲适、从容也。白居易以「水自闲」写泉水，一个「闲」字，至少有双重意味：其一，写水之从容——那「水自闲」写泉水从容自流、不急不躁，「闲」字写尽泉水的从容闲适——不同于奔流的山洪，泉水自流自闲；其二，写心之闲适——那「闲」字既是水的从容，也是诗人向往的心境——那「水自闲」的「闲」，正是诗人向往的闲适之境（不为尘世所扰的闲适），「闲」字写尽白居易「知足保和」的人生态度。以「闲」字写水，正是白居易托物言志的关键——那「水自闲」既是泉水的写照，也是诗人的自况（愿如水般自闲）；若换作「静」「缓」等字，则或失其闲适的情态，或失其与「无心」的呼应；唯「闲」字，以一字写尽泉水的从容与心境的闲适，与「云自无心」相合，写尽云水的无心自闲，也让「云自无心水自闲」成为写闲适之境的千古名句。

Related Reading

大林寺桃花 Peach Blossoms at the Great Forest Temple 白居易 · 同白居易游山水名篇 Both are famous landscape poems from Bai Juyi's travels

'Peach Blossoms at the Great Forest Temple'—'In the human world the fourth month, all flowers have faded; only in the mountain temple the peach blossoms just now fully bloom. Long I regretted spring's departure with no place to find it, not knowing it had turned and come here'—writes the different phenology of mountain blossoms versus the human world, a famous landscape-and-principle poem from Bai's travels. 'White Cloud Spring' writes the spring's ease and avoidance of the world—a famous symbolic poem from his travels. Both are travel masterpieces: one writes the phenology of 'the fourth month, all flowers faded' (Great Forest Temple), one writes the ease of 'the clouds are heedless, the water at ease' (White Cloud Spring); one uses 'long regretted spring's departure' for reasoned delight, the other uses 'why rush down' for declared intent. Read together, they show Bai's landscape poetry can write both principle-delight and intent-delight.

《大林寺桃花》「人间四月芳菲尽，山寺桃花始盛开。长恨春归无觅处，不知转入此中来」写山中桃花与人间不同的物候，是白居易游山水时写景言理的名篇。此诗《白云泉》则「云自无心水自闲」「何必奔冲山下去，更添波浪向人间」写白云泉的闲适与避世，是白居易游山水时咏物言志的名篇。同为白居易游山水名篇，一写「人间四月芳菲尽」的物候（大林寺桃花），一写「云自无心水自闲」的闲适（白云泉）；一以「长恨春归」写理趣，一以「何必奔冲」写志趣。两诗对读，可见白居易山水诗既能写理趣又能写志趣。

 忆江南·江南好 Recalling Jiangnan: The South Is Fair 白居易 · 同白居易写山水之美 Both are Bai Juyi writing the beauty of landscape

'Recalling Jiangnan: The South Is Fair'—'At sunrise the river flowers blaze redder than fire; in spring the river water is green as blue. How can one not recall the South?'—writes the beauty of Jiangnan's spring scene, a famous landscape-beauty poem. 'White Cloud Spring' writes the ease of the spring's realm—a famous landscape-mood poem. Both write Jiangnan landscape: one the bright 'river flowers red as fire' (Recalling Jiangnan), one the easeful 'clouds are heedless, water at ease' (White Cloud Spring); one uses 'red as fire, green as blue' for color, the other 'heedless, at ease' for mood. Read together, they show Bai's two brushworks in writing landscape—the beauty of color and the leisure of mood.

《忆江南·江南好》「日出江花红胜火，春来江水绿如蓝。能不忆江南」写江南春景之美，是白居易写山水之美的名篇。此诗《白云泉》则「天平山上白云泉，云自无心水自闲」写白云泉的闲适之境，是白居易写山水之境的名篇。同为白居易写山水，一写「日出江花红胜火」的明丽（忆江南），一写「云自无心水自闲」的闲适（白云泉）；一以「红胜火」「绿如蓝」写色彩，一以「无心」「自闲」写心境。两诗对读，可见白居易写山水的两种笔法——色彩之美与心境之闲。

 钱塘湖春行 Spring Journey at Qiantang Lake 白居易 · 同白居易写景诗名篇 Both are famous landscape poems by Bai Juyi

'Spring Journey at Qiantang Lake'—'Here and there early orioles contest the warm trees; whose new swallows peck the spring mud' and 'Most loved, the lake's east, never enough walking, the white-sand dike under green willows'—writes the early-spring sights of West Lake, a famous landscape poem. 'White Cloud Spring' writes the ease of the spring—a famous symbolic poem. Both write landscape and objects: one the early-spring vitality of 'early orioles contest the warm trees' (Qiantang Lake), one the easeful realm of 'clouds are heedless, water at ease' (White Cloud Spring); one uses 'never enough walking' for touring delight, the other 'why rush down' for avoiding the world. Read together, they show the variety of Bai's landscape writing—spring's vitality and the mountain water's ease.

《钱塘湖春行》「几处早莺争暖树，谁家新燕啄春泥」「最爱湖东行不足，绿杨阴里白沙堤」写西湖早春的景物，是白居易写景诗的名篇。此诗《白云泉》则「天平山上白云泉，云自无心水自闲」写白云泉的闲适，是白居易咏物言志的名篇。同为白居易写景咏物，一写「早莺争暖树」的早春生机（钱塘湖春行），一写「云自无心水自闲」的闲适之境（白云泉）；一以「行不足」写游兴，一以「何必奔冲」写避世。两诗对读，可见白居易写景的多样——春日的生机与山水的闲适。