自余為僇人，居是州，恆惴慄。其隟也，則施施而行，漫漫而游。日與其徒上高山，入深林，窮回溪，幽泉怪石，無遠不到。到則披草而坐，傾壺而醉。醉則更相枕以臥，臥而夢。意有所極，夢亦同趣。覺而起，起而歸；以為凡是州之山水有異態者，皆我有也，而未始知西山之怪特。

Since I was ousted because of political incorrectness, I have lived in this county, and my heart has been often occupied with unrest and uncertainty. In my leisure time, I would stroll slowly and roam endlessly everywhere without any strain. Almost every day with my companions, I climbed up to the high hills, entered the dense woods, reached the end of the sinuous brook, and discovered uncharted springs and rocks as far as we could reach. When we selected a destination to sit down and rest, we started to drink till we were drunk. Then we were close to one another to have a slumber, in which we all dreamed. As we all had a boundless realm in reality, we could obtain the same in dreams. When we awoke, we doubled back home. I thought I had visited all the attractions of the mountain, Mt. Xi; actually, I had not known its real wonders.

今年九月二十八日，因坐法華西亭，望西山，始指異之。遂命僕人過湘江，緣染溪，斫榛莽，焚茅茷，窮山之高而止。攀援而登，箕踞而遨，則凡數州之土壤，皆在衽席之下。其高下之勢，岈然窪然，若垤若穴，尺寸千里，攢蹙累積，莫得遁隱。縈青繚白，外與天際，四望如一。然後知是山之特立，不與培塿為類。悠悠乎與顥氣俱，而莫得其涯；洋洋乎與造物者游，而不知其所窮。引觴滿酌，頹然就醉，不知日之入。蒼然暮色，自遠而至，至無所見，而猶不欲歸。心凝形釋，與萬化冥合。然後知吾向之未始游，游於是乎始。故為之文以志。是歲，元和四年也。

On the 28th day of September this year, I sat in the west pavillion of Fahua Temple, looking at Mt. Xi. I knew there must be real wonders in there. Therefore, I sent my servants to cross over the River Xiang and walk along the brook named Ran. They chopped thorns down and burned weeds till they reached the summit of the mountain, and we followed up to the top. Then we simply sat down and looked around, finding that below where we were sitting were all of the lands of the adjacent counties, which were located at different latitudes. They were tall mountains in the distance, or like the lower ant mounts or caves just under our feet, but actually they were far, far away. Those remote scenes, gathered and condensed, were all within the reach of our eyes, and nothing could be hidden from us. Only the surrounding green mountains and winding white water connected the world; the rest were all the same to us. Not until we reached the top did we realize this mountain was quite different from other mounts. The atmosphere of ether was out of bounds, and its natural mixture with the immense universe could not reach an end. So we filled up our cups and toasted with one another until we all intoxicated ourselves and stumbled, unaware that the sun had set. The dusk became dimmer and dimmer until it was all in darkness, yet we were still lingering on. I felt my thoughts seem to have stopped; my body was not mine any longer, and it seemed to consolidate with all creatures. Then I fully understood that I had never visited Mt. Xi, and the real visit was this time. Hence, I wrote down my experience in memory of today. The time was the fourth year of the Yunghe era.