Peach Blossom Journey

Fishing boat pursue water love hill spring

Both banks peach blossom arrive ancient river crossing

Travel look red tree not know far

Travel furthest blue stream not see people

Mountain mouth stealthy move begin cave profound

Mountain open spacious view spin flat land

Far see one place accumulate cloud tree

Nearby join 1000 homes scattered flower bamboo

Firewood person first express Han surname given name

Reside person not change Qin clothing clothing

Reside person together live Wu Ling source

Still from outside outside build field orchard

Moon bright pine below room pen quiet

Sun through cloud middle chicken dog noisy

Surprise hear common visitor contend arrive gather

Compete lead back home ask all town

At brightness alley alley sweep blossom begin

Approach dusk fisher woodman via water return

Beginning reason evade earth leave person among

Change ask god immortal satisfy not return

Gorge inside who know be human affairs

World middle far gaze sky cloud hill

Not doubt magic place hard hear see

Dust heart not exhaust think country country

Beyond hole not decide away hill water

Leave home eventually plan far travel spread

Self say pass through old not lost

Who know peak gully now arrive change

Now only mark entrance hill deep

Blue stream how many times reach cloud forest

Spring come all over be peach blossom water

Not know immortal source what place search

A fisher's boat chased the water into the coveted hills，

Both banks were covered in peach blossom at the ancient river crossing.

He knew not how far he sailed， gazing at the reddened trees，

He travelled to the end of the blue stream， seeing no man on the way.

Then finding a crack in the hillside， he squeezed through the deepest of caves，

And beyond the mountain a vista opened of flat land all about！

In the distance he saw clouds and trees gathered together，

Nearby amongst a thousand homes flowers and bamboo were scattered.

A wood-gatherer was the first to speak a Han-era name，

The inhabitants' dress was unchanged since the time of Qin.

The people lived together on uplands above Wu Ling river，

Apart from the outside world they laid their fields and plantations.

Below the pines and the bright moon， all was quiet in the houses，

When the sun started to shine through the clouds， the chickens and dogs gave voice.

Startled to find a stranger amongst them， the people jostled around，

They competed to invite him in and ask about his home.

As brightness came， the lanes had all been swept of blossom，

By dusk， along the water the fishers and woodsmen returned.

To escape the troubled world they had first left men's society，

They live as if become immortals， no reason now to return.

In that valley they knew nothing of the way we live outside，

From within our world we gaze afar at empty clouds and hills.

Who would not doubt that magic place so hard to find，

The fisher's worldly heart could not stop thinking of his home.

He left that land， but its hills and rivers never left his heart，

Eventually he again set out， and planned to journey back.

By memory， he passed along the way he'd taken before，

Who could know the hills and gullies had now completely changed？

Now he faced only the great mountain where he remembered the entrance，

Each time he followed the clear stream， he found only cloud and forest.

Spring comes， and all again is peach blossom and water，

No-one knows how to reach that immortal place.