Waterfalls in Clouds

the artist

Guanting Li: Harmonies, Lauraine Diggins Fine Art, Melbourne, 12 April - 31 May 2025

远是非 , 寻潇洒。

地暖江南燕宜家，人闲水北春无价。

一品茶，五色瓜，四季花。

English translation of text in the painting:

I drift far from worldly noise,

In search of a life lived light and free.

Spring warms the southern lands,

And swallows find their home with ease.

Leisurely days unfold beside the northern stream,

Where time slows and spring feels priceless.

A quiet sip of fragrant tea,

The taste of melons rich in hue,

And flowers blooming through each passing season —

Such simple joys, such gentle peace,

This is the life the soul longs to keep.

画中文字出自于元代张可久的《四块玉. 乐闲》，描绘出清静悠闲的隐逸生活。

This short lyric poem, “Leisurely Joy,” is one of the Four Pieces of Jade (Sì Kuài Yù) composed by Zhang Kejiu during the Yuan Dynasty.

Though brief in form, the piece is rich in imagery and depth, evoking an ideal of reclusive, carefree living in harmony with nature.