從小丘西行百二十步，隔篁竹，聞水聲，如鳴佩環，心樂之。伐竹取道，下見小潭，水尤清冽。全石以為底，近岸，卷石底以出，為坻，為嶼，為嵁，為巖。青樹翠蔓，蒙絡搖綴，參差披拂。

Two hundred and twenty steps from the rock pool, there is a bamboo grove where we could hear the jade-like ding-dong of the water. Delighted, I chopped down the bamboos and paved a way, then I caught sight of the pool. The water there was crystal clear and cool, and I found the bottom of the pool to be a piece of whole rock. Nearing the pool banks, the bottom of the rocks appear out of water and protrude in different shapes: high lands, tiny islets, uneven stones, and stone blocks. The green trees and emerald vines are entwined and hidden, randomly swinging in the wind. 

潭中魚可百許頭，皆若空游無所依。日光下澈，影布石上，佁然不動；俶爾遠逝，往來翕忽。似與游者相樂。

There are around a hundred fish in the pool, seemingly all swimming in the air without any support. The sunlight projects onto the bottom, and so the images of fish are reflected on the rock, leisurely standing there, unmoving. Suddenly, they swim to other places, to and fro, like having fun with the visitors. 

潭西南而望，斗折蛇行，明滅可見。其岸勢犬牙差互，不可知其源。

Looking southwesterly, we can see the stream flow like the winding Big Dipper or a sinuous snake, sometimes visible, sometimes not. The lay of the land is so jagged that we are unable to know where the stream begins.

坐潭上，四面竹樹環合，寂寥無人，凄神寒骨，悄愴幽邃。以其境過清，不可久居，乃記之而去。

We sat by the pool; except for the surrounding bamboo groves and trees, there were no other people. We felt lonesome and chilly in this ambience of extreme tranquility and remoteness, which made us think we could not linger here too long. Therefore, I jotted down what I had seen and left.

同游者：吳武陵，龔古，余弟宗玄。隸而從者，崔氏二小生：曰恕己，曰奉壹。

My companions are Wu Wuling, Gong Gu, and my cousin Zongxuan. Another two young fellows with us are Cui Shuji and Cui Fengyi.