"Walking to a water-poor place, sitting and watching the clouds rise" comes from "Zhongnan Farewell" by Wang Wei, a poet of the Tang Dynasty. The whole poem is as follows:
Zhongnan Bieye
Tang Dynasty? Wang Wei
In his middle age, he was quite good at Taoism. In his later years, he came to the southern border of Nanshan.
When prosperity comes and goes alone, success is in vain.
Walking to a water-poor place, sit and watch the clouds rise.
I happened to visit Lin Sou, and we talked and laughed for a long time.
Poetic meaning:
(Myself) became tired of the hustle and bustle of the secular world after middle age, and believed in Taoism. In his later years, he settled down on the border of Nanshan Mountain and often visited the mountains and rivers.
When the interest comes, I go alone to enjoy the beautiful scenery. This kind of beautiful thing can only be enjoyed by myself.
I walked casually and unknowingly, I reached the end of the flowing water. Seeing that there was no way to go, I simply sat down and watched the leisurely clouds rise and drift.
Meeting an old man in the mountains and forests, he talked with him about things in the mountains and by the water. We stayed together and forgot about the time to go back.
This poem is intended to express the leisure and joy of living in seclusion in Zhongnan Mountain, and the feeling of being at peace with the situation. The leisurely mood of enjoying oneself after retirement is vividly and vividly described. When the mood strikes, he wanders alone, and when he reaches the end of the water, he sits and watches the changing clouds. This vividly portrays the image of a hermit, as if he were seeing the person himself. Talking and laughing with the old people in the mountains, forgetting the time to go home, how free and comfortable it is. This is a typical example captured by the author in a typical environment, which highlights the open-minded character of the retiree. The poetry is as plain as words, but extremely powerful, possessing both poetic flavor and rationale.