Entering the gorge, I loved its craggy cliffs,
Exiting the gorge, I cherish the open plain.
My heart is serene, free from burdens,
Meeting any scene, I find peace and ease.
East and west, a journey of a thousand miles,
I've often visited places of great beauty.
Seeking the remote, never tiring,
The highest and steepest, I always climb first.
My previous poem still omitted much,
If unrecorded, I fear I'll forget in time.
I recall returning from the Witch Temple,
Midway, cold springs had swollen.
Drawing water back was truly delightful,
The emerald glow filled the bowl.
Suddenly I was startled at the end of Wu Gorge,
Within the cliff's belly was a hollow cavern.
Looking up, I saw the vast, azure sky,
A stone chamber opened southward.
Xuan Ni's ancient temple structures,
Thick trees served as its curtained tent.
An iron railing spanned mid-air,
Looking down, the depth was beyond measure.
Who among the ancients built this framework,
Below raged unfathomable waves.
A stone aperture revealed a sky-like granary,
Earthen coffins mourned ancient burials.
At New Rapids, wind and snow blocked passage,
I left the village, staff in hand.
I also reached Longma Stream,
Bought village brew at a thatched hut.
I regret not going to Jade Void,
Truly deceived by the boatman's tale.
I heard the rocks there were most marvelous,
Awake or asleep, I saw their strange forms.
The gorge mountains abound in wondrous grandeur,
To glimpse one feels like losing many.
Bitterly I regret not knowing their names,
Each vivid, yet only in imagination.
Today I escape the double peril,
Chu's waters stretch vast and placid.
Fish are plentiful, enough for the traveler's kitchen,
Fair winds speed my journey's intent.
Recalling these thoughts, I casually compose this piece,
To aid, in some way, the boatmen's song.