16 Ancient Chinese Poems About Hope and Beauty
In Chinese history, there are many classical poems about hope that look for eternal beauty in nature and in life. The poets have compassionate hearts and keen senses that allow us to get insights into the most beautiful aspects of our world. Traditional Chinese poems, however, are often reserved and subtle. Yet the more we read them, the more we can understand the inner meanings of the poems.
Follow Sigurai on a journey through time, Referencing ancient wisdom to help us discover the hope and beauty around us.
车到山前必有路，船到桥头自然直
When the cart reaches the mountain, there must be a road
When the boat reaches the bridge, it will naturally be straight
Proverb
Facing an unknown future might seem scary and difficult, but there’s no need to worry. What must come will come. When it does, we must face the difficulty. We’ll be sure to find a solution.
行到水穷处，坐看云起时
Walk to where the waters end,
Sit and watch the clouds arise.
Wang Wei (699-761)
When you walk to the end of the road, don’t hesitate or rush. Sitting down and watching the clouds float is also part of life. Sometimes, it’s a good idea to relax and enjoy the scenery.
九层之台起于累土，千里之行始于足下
A nine-storied tower rises from a heap of earth;
A thousand miles journey starts with the first step.
Lao Tzu (571 BCE-)
Looking ahead we might be terrified by the stressful task we’re about to face. Let’s not worry and take a step forward. We’ll reach our destination through small cumulative steps.
不识庐山真面目，只缘身在此山中
Why can’t I tell the true shape of Mount Lu?
Because I myself am in the mountains.
Su Shi (1037-1101)
The poet wrote down this observation when he visited the famous Mount Lu. Oftentimes we fail to see matters clearly while amidst problems. Stepping out of the situation and looking at the bigger picture can lead us to find the solution.
海上生明月，天涯共此时
Over the sea has risen the bright moon,
Being far apart we share this moment.
Zhang Jiuling (673-740)
The moon has always represented homesickness. No matter where we are, we can look up to the moon and know that, somewhere in the world, the one we’re longing for is looking at the same moon.
退一步海阔天空，忍一时风平浪静
Take one step back and see the boundless sea and sky
Endure one moment and calm the wind and seas
Proverb
When in an argument or conflict, if we can take a step back and endure the suffering, we might just discover that there's room to exit the conflict in a graceful manner.
乘风破浪会有时 直挂云帆济沧海
A time will come to ride the wind and cleave the waves,
I’ll set my cloud-white sail and cross the raving sea.
Li Bai (701-762)
These lines are written by one of the greatest poets in Chinese history. Thousands of years have passed since that time, yet the brave spirit of the poet continues to inspire courage and determination in readers.
莫等闲，白了少年头，空悲切
Never take time for granted,
Once hair has greyed,
There is only regret.
Yue Fei (1103-1142)
Time passes in the blink of an eye. Let’s make the best use of every moment. We may not have time to procrastinate.
飞流直下三千尺，疑是银河落九天
Flying waters rushing three thousand feet down,
Till I think the Milky Way has tumbled from the ninth level of Heaven.
Li Bai (701-762)
Li Bai is renowned for his romantic descriptions. In this poem, he uses a grand and lofty metaphor to show us the magnificent waterfall of Mount Lu.
欲穷千里目，更上一层楼
You can enjoy a grander sight,
By climbing to a greater height
Wang Zhihuan (688-742)
The poet came to this conclusion when he visited the famous Stork Tower. Indeed, we must continually climb higher to see greater scenery in our journey of life.
海内存知已，天涯若比邻
To have a bosom friend within the seas,
The far end of the world is the same as your neighbour next door
Wang Bo (649-676)
True friends can’t be separated by distance. No matter whether our friend is on the other side of the world or next door, we can understand and support each other anywhere.
众里寻他千百度。蓦然回首，
那人却在，灯火阑珊处。
Thousands of times I have been searching over the crowd
And all of a sudden when I turned my head around
He is right where the lights are few and dim.
Xin Qiji (1140-1207)
These are the final verses of a famous poem describing the Lantern Festival. For whom the poet was searching has been debated for thousands of years. He could have been looking for a loved one, faith, or the meaning of life. The idea is that the most precious people and things aren’t easy to find, but in the end, they’re not actually far away.
无可奈何花落去，
似曾相识燕归来。
Powerless are flowers that must wither and fall,
It’s time for the return of the swallows I seem to have met before
Yan Shu (991-1055)
While we can’t stop the flowers from dying, there’s no need to dwell upon these moments with sadness. If we look at the whole picture, we might notice many more pleasant things around us, such as the return of the swallows.
孤帆远影碧空尽，唯见长江天际流
His lessening sail is lost in the boundless blue sky;
Where I see but the endless River rolling by.
Li Bai (701-762)
The poet wrote these lines after saying farewell to his friend. Staring at the sailing boat until it disappeared into the horizon, the eternal river is like the poet’s endless yearning. Nothing is said about friendship, yet every single word expresses affection.
人生如逆旅，我亦是行人
Life is but a hotel, I too am a traveller.
Su Shi (1037-1101)
We’re all guests living in a hotel on this temporary journey of life. There’s no need to hold on to anything.
回首向来萧瑟处，归去，也无风雨也无晴
Looking back over the bleak passage survived,
The return in time
Shall not be affected by windswept rain or shine.
Su Shi (1037-1101)
The life of this poet was full of difficulties, yet he never complained, taking every hardship as it came. In life, we go through many difficulties, but when we look back on them, we may realize that they’re as temporary as the weather.
From the excerpts of these timeless poems, we can see that if we're willing to look at life with open minds and hearts, we'll find that life is full of beauty. Every day is special and every moment is precious. Let's embrace each moment, relax, enjoy the serenity within ourselves, and be delighted by every detail of our daily lives.