望天门山
Viewing Tianmen Mountain
Original
天门中断楚江开，
碧水东流至此回。
两岸青山相对出，
孤帆一片日边来。
Translation
The Tianmen Mountains split as the Chu River bursts through,
Clear waters flow eastward, swirling back at this spot,
Green peaks on both shores rise face to face,
A single sail approaches from where the sun resides.
Line by Line Analysis
About This Poem
Viewing Tianmen Mountain paints a vivid portrait of nature’s majestic grandeur. Composed during Li Bai’s extensive travels in the early 8th century, the poem centers on the Tianmen Mountains in Anhui Province, where the Yangtze River (called Chu River here) forcefully cuts through the twin peaks. The verses capture the river’s fierce momentum, the tranquil yet dynamic swirl of its waters, and the quiet grace of a lone sail drifting toward the horizon beneath the setting sun. Li Bai conveys deep reverence for nature’s power, infusing the scene with a sense of freedom and wonder that mirrors his own unconstrained, roving spirit.
About the Poet
李白
Lǐ Bái
Li Bai (701-762), a legendary poet of the Tang Dynasty, is hailed as the 'Poet Immortal' in Chinese literary history. A core figure of the High Tang poetry movement, he traveled extensively across China, drawing inspiration from natural landscapes, folk customs and his roving life. His works are marked by bold, unrestrained language, vivid, imaginative imagery, and a romantic spirit that blends reality with fantasy, leaving an indelible mark on Chinese poetry and influencing generations of writers worldwide.
Cultural & Historical Context
1. Historical Background: Written in the High Tang period (713-741), an era of peak economic prosperity and cultural flourishing in China, when imperial patronage of literature encouraged poets to explore natural beauty through verse. The Tianmen Mountains, a natural boundary between ancient Chu and Wu kingdoms, held strategic and symbolic significance in regional history. 2. Cultural Background: Landscape poetry was a dominant Tang genre, rooted in Taoist reverence for nature and Confucian ideals of moral cultivation through scenic appreciation, allowing poets to merge personal emotion with natural imagery. 3. Social Background: Stable governance and advanced transportation enabled Tang poets like Li Bai to travel freely, engaging with diverse landscapes and folk cultures that shaped their works. 4. Personal Experience: At the time, Li Bai was journeying south to seek artistic inspiration and potential official roles, using his travels to document China’s most stunning vistas. 5. Artistic Features: The poem uses dynamic verbs to highlight nature’s raw power, contrasts the vast landscape with the delicate lone sail to create visual scale, and employs linear imagery that guides readers from the broad mountain-river scene to the intimate detail of the approaching sail, embodying Li Bai’s signature romantic, unconstrained style.
More by 李白
独坐敬亭山
Sitting Alone on Mount Jingting
众鸟高飞尽，
古朗月行
An Old Ballad of the Moon
小时不识月，
黄鹤楼送孟浩然之广陵
Seeing Meng Haoran Off to Guangling at Yellow Crane Tower
故人西辞黄鹤楼，
静夜思
Thoughts on a Quiet Night
床前明月光，
秋浦歌
Song of Qiupu (No. 15)
白发三千丈，
望庐山瀑布
Viewing the Waterfall at Mount Lu
日照香炉生紫烟，
早发白帝城
Departing from Baidi City at Dawn
朝辞白帝彩云间，
赠汪伦
To Wang Lun
李白乘舟将欲行，