A huge fish, bold and noble,
stands up like a man,
slicing waves, treading ripples.
in brisk wind-blown currents.
Watching him from the side,
two carp, quite full of spirit:
quick and nimble, showing, hiding,
following the waves!
In the main hall, fins and flippers
move in the vast darkness;
only after sitting long
do I realize it's a picture.
Dark sky over ten thousand miles
sweeps the silken surface:
the force of the brush in just a few feet of space
has created a vast cosmos.
At the Gate of Yü and Heaven's Pond
among the clouds and fog,
in broad daylight rumbling thunder
is heard beneath the earth.
What man had the power to move this marvel here?
Wine-drunk, I gaze at it
and my whole expression changes:
I only fear that these three fish
may turn into three dragons!