清泉石上流

qīngquánshíshàngliú

phrase

Meanings

1 a clear spring flows over stones
2 image of quiet, pristine mountain scenery
3 one of Wang Wei's most loved couplet lines

Characters

Examples

山里空气清新，明月松间照，清泉石上流。

Shān lǐ kōngqì qīngxīn, míng yuè sōng jiān zhào, qīng quán shí shàng liú.

The mountain air is fresh — the bright moon shines between the pines, the clear spring flows over stones.

这家民宿的环境像清泉石上流一般宁静。

Zhè jiā mínsù de huánjìng xiàng qīng quán shí shàng liú yìbān níngjìng.

This homestay is as peaceful as 'the clear spring flowing over stones.'

Tips

history

From Wang Wei's (王维) High Tang regulated verse 《山居秋暝》 (Autumn Evening in the Mountains): 空山新雨后，天气晚来秋。明月松间照，清泉石上流。 — 'Empty mountains after fresh rain; the evening air turns autumn. A bright moon shines among the pines; a clear spring flows over stones.' A textbook example of Wang Wei's 'painting-in-poetry' (诗中有画) style.

usage

Typically cited as the couplet 明月松间照，清泉石上流. 流 here is intransitive (to flow). A favored line in landscape writing and scenic tourism copy.

Stroke Order

清 qīng

泉 quán

石 shí

上 shàng

流 liú