Living in the misty waters of Sanwu, I long for the places I have visited. To achieve long-term wealth, do not forget to plant more trees. Red beans grow in the southern lands, how many branches bloom in spring? I wish you could gather them, for they embody deep longing. Great trees reach the sky, but their leaves return to their roots. Trees flourish and grow, springs flow continuously. There are straight trees in the mountains, but no straight people in the world. Big trees attract the wind, while small trees break easily. Tall pines stand out among trees, accompanying me to the ends of the earth. The traveler leaves and the sky clears, the monk comes and silence falls. A tree withers before it falls. Nature is a kind mother, but also a ruthless butcher. Barren land stays barren year after year; planting trees is like opening a small bank. The new pine regrets not being a thousand feet tall; the bad bamboo must be cut down by ten thousand stalks. Amidst frost and rain, forty feet wide, the dark green tree rises two thousand feet high. In times of peace, people tend to trees; in times of calamity, trees tend to people. Afforestation is a legacy for a thousand generations. Sunny spots are good for vegetables; shaded areas are good for fir trees. Planting two pines as guests. Watering them in spring, they flourish with life. Leaves fall in autumn, flowers bloom in February. Waves crash a thousand feet across the river, bamboo stalks lean ten thousand feet wide. — Li Qiao, "Wind" (Tang Dynasty) Listening to the rustling bamboo in the official's quarters, one wonders if it is the cries of the suffering people. A mere local official, every leaf and branch carries the weight of the people's welfare. — Zheng Xie, "Poem on Ink Bamboo" (Qing Dynasty) Creating forests is creating blessings; planting trees is planting wealth. There are thousand-year-old trees in the mountains, but rare are the centenarians in this world. Without trees on the hills, crops cannot be protected. The official's longing is desolate, feeling as autumn in the middle of spring. After rain in the mountain town, flowers wither and banyan leaves fill the courtyard as orioles cry wildly. — Liu Zongyuan, "On the Falling Banyan Leaves in Liuzhou in February" (Tang Dynasty) If a village has a thousand poplars, no woodcutter is needed.
