Tao Yuanming

"You had better go where Fate leads— Drift on the Stream of Infinite Flux, Without joy, without fear: When you must go—then go."

"At a single glance I survey the whole Universe. He will never be happy, whom such pleasures fail to please!"

"It is this fundamental love of simplicity that distinguishes Tao Chiens verses from the works of court poets of his time, who utilized obscure allusions and complicated stylistic devices to fashion verses that appealed only to the highly educated. Tao Chien, by way of contrast, seldom made any literary allusions whatsoever, and he wrote for the widest possible audience. As a consequence, he was slighted by his eras critics and only fully appreciated by later generations of readers."

"结庐在人境，而无车马喧。 问君何能尔？心远地自偏。 采菊东篱下，悠然见南山。 山气日夕佳，飞鸟相与还。 此中有真意，欲辨已忘言。"

"Slowly, slowly, the autumn draws to its close. Cruelly cold the wind congeals the dew. Vines and grasses will not be green again— The trees in my garden are withering forlorn. The pure air is cleansed of lingering lees And mysteriously, Heavens realms are high. Nothing is left of the spent cicadas song, A flock of geese goes crying down the sky. The myriad transformations unravel one another And human life how should it not be hard? From ancient times there was none but had to die, Remembering this scorches my very heart. What is there I can do to assuage this mood? Only enjoy myself drinking my unstrained wine. I do not know about a thousand years, Rather let me make this morning last forever."

"I am free from ties and can live a life of retirement. When I rise from sleep, I play with books and harp."