登鸛雀樓

(dēng guàn què lóu)

Climbing the Crane Pagoda

王之渙【唐】(wáng zhī huàn, táng)

By Wang Zhihuan, Tang Dynasty (AD 618907)

白日依山盡，

(bái rì yī shān jìn,)

The sun setting beyond the mountain glows.

黃河入海流。

(huáng hé rù hǎi liú.)

The Yellow River seawards flows.

欲窮千里目，

(yù qióng qiān lǐ mù,)

Desiring to scan the thousandmile sights,

更上一層樓。

(gèng shàng yī céng lóu.)

You need to climb to a greater height.

Notes:

目(mù): eye, eyesight, vision, view.

更(gèng): again, more, further, furthermore.

Summary:

If one would like to enjoy scanning a thousandmiles landscape, one needs to climb to a higher level. One's life is just like climbing the tower, the higher one stands, the farther one can see clearly. One can't accomplish a great achievement unless one unceasingly scales up and disciplines oneself with a higher standard. For this reason, the last two lines become famous poetic verses forever.

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