Climbing Youzhou Tower

Before me, I don't see the ancients of old, After me, I don't see those yet to come. Thinking of heaven and earth's endlessness, Alone, grieving, my tears fall.

I see no trace of sages past, Nor glimpse of those yet unborn. Contemplating the boundless universe, Alone I stand, and weep.

This is one of the most famous poems in Chinese literature about existential loneliness and the human condition. Written when Chen Zi'ang climbed an ancient tower and felt the weight of time and space, it expresses universal feelings about mortality and our place in the cosmos. The poem's stark simplicity and profound emotion have made it timeless, often quoted when discussing life's fleeting nature and the search for meaning.