小石潭记

Record of the Little Stone Pond

从小丘西行百二十步，隔篁竹，闻水声，如鸣佩环，心乐之。

A hundred and twenty paces west of the hill, through a bamboo grove¹, I heard the sound of water, like jade² pendants tinkling³, and it gladdened my heart.

伐竹取道，下见小潭，水尤清冽。

I cut a path through the bamboo and saw a little pond below, its water exceptionally clear and cold.

全石以为底，近岸，卷石底以出，为坻，为屿，为嵁，为岩。

The pond’s bottom was a solid rock. Near the bank, the stone curled up above the surface, forming little islets, uneven⁴ cliffs, and jagged peaks.

青树翠蔓，蒙络摇缀，参差披拂。

Green trees and emerald vines wove a canopy⁵ overhead, swaying and cascading⁶ in uneven strands⁷.

潭中鱼可百许头，皆若空游无所依。

A hundred or so fish in the pond seemed to float in emptiness, with nothing to rely on.

日光下澈，影布石上，佁然不动；俶尔远逝，往来翕忽，似与游者相乐。

Sunlight pierced to the bottom, casting the fishes’ shadows on the rock. At times they hung motionless, then suddenly darted⁸ away—swift and light, as if delighting the visitor.

潭西南而望，斗折蛇行，明灭可见。

Gazing southwest along the pond’s winding⁹, snake-like bends, the view flickered¹⁰ in and out of sight.

其岸势犬牙差互，不可知其源。

The banks jutted¹¹ like jagged teeth, their source unknowable.

坐潭上，四面竹树环合，寂寥无人，凄神寒骨，悄怆幽邃。

Sitting there, encircled by bamboo and trees, I felt the silence, no human in sight—a chill seeped¹² into my bones, a desolate¹³, piercing stillness.

以其境过清，不可久居，乃记之而去。

The place’s utter clarity forbade long stay, so I noted¹⁴ it down and left.

同游者：吴武陵，龚古，余弟宗玄。隶而从者，崔氏二小生：曰恕己，曰奉壹。

My companions: Wu Wuling, Gong Gu, and my younger brother Zongxuan. Followed by two youths of the Cui family: Shuji and Fengyi.