Autumn: 7 by Tom Sharp

Emperor Wu had Kunming Lake dug and filled to train his army. His thoughts were always of war. A statue of a girl weaving silk and three small whales that wave their tails in the rain now decorate the lake. Wild rice grows in the shallows and floats on the surface along with lotus flowers. This land is surrounded by mountains that only birds can get over, and it’s filled with lakes full of fishermen like me.

秋兴 (七) by 杜甫 (Du Fu)

昆明池水汉时功，武帝旌旗在眼中。织女机丝虚夜月，石鲸鳞甲动秋风。波漂菰米沉云黑，露冷莲房坠粉红。关塞极天惟鸟道，江湖满地一渔翁。