Austin Little Jiuzhai Ode

GPT five years, in the year of Xinwei, during the clear autumn, when the wind and dew are already cold. I drove with a guest to visit Panendia Falls, known as the Jiuzhaigou of Texas. The mountains and rivers there stretch endlessly, with streams winding around, the autumn scenery abundant and unrestrained. The cold pool is a jade-like green pond; when the wind blows, ripples rise at the heart of the waves; when the wind stops, the mirror clears to the stone bottom, calm and unmoving, as if it can be opened but not peered into. As we walked, we saw strange rocks jagged and protruding, arranged like a group of beasts: some shaped like giant elephants by the stream, lowering their trunks to drink; others like mountain caves containing huge stones, round like bright eyes, looking down on travelers, seeming to observe human feelings and silently maintain their composure. The shadows of the forest interlace, sunlight leaks through, like scattered blue and red gold, changing with each step. Then we climbed the stone steps along the cliff, passed through caves; after passing through the caves, the scene suddenly opened up. Above, maple forests dye the mountains, red clouds shine in the valley; below, a green pool hangs from the sky, glazed like glass falling to the earth. White stones lie horizontally, like newly fallen snow; the clear wind passes through the valley, striking against the sound of water, sometimes silent as if no sound, sometimes moving like a zither. This is the profound work of nature, not something human skill can imitate. As the day approached dusk, the peaks gradually turned purple, and old stars hung in the sky. My guest and I walked through the wilderness to return, the new moon like a hook, cold light spilling on the ground, the grass and trees all sparkling. Sitting under the forest, we shared Texas barbecue, the charcoal fire faintly red, the smoke fragrant and floating, making the travel mood even more pleasant. Alas! The essence of heaven and earth, the divine mechanism with endless changes, how can mere clever skills and wisdom fully grasp it? To exhaust reason, one must explore to the minutest detail; to study, one values broad understanding and great communication, not something a single article or volume can unify. Therefore, it is better to follow one’s interest and rest the eyes, letting the heart interact with things; to explore the hidden and enter the beautiful, letting emotions blend with the scene. To see the ultimate nature of mountains and rivers, to comprehend the endlessness of creation, this is true gain.