莫听穿林打叶声：staying focused amid distraction
A personal reflection on Su Shi's words, 莫听穿林打叶声，何妨吟啸且徐行, and staying calm and focused amid distractions.
莫听穿林打叶声，何妨吟啸且徐行。
— Su Shi (苏轼), Ding Feng Bo (定风波)
These words struck a chord with me. I read them as a reminder to stay focused and not let too many distractions leave me confused.
What does the quote mean?
A natural English rendering is: “Pay no heed to the rain beating through the woods and against the leaves; why not sing and stroll calmly?”
莫听穿林打叶声
Mò tīng chuān lín dǎ yè shēng
Literally, this asks us not to listen to the sound of rain piercing the woods and striking the leaves. I take it as a reminder not to let the noise and disturbance around me dominate my attention.
何妨吟啸且徐行
Hé fáng yín xiào qiě xú xíng
Literally, this asks: why not chant or sing, and walk slowly? Instead of panicking or rushing, there is room to stay composed and move at a calm pace.
Why it matters to me
Too much distraction can make it difficult to keep my focus. This quote reminds me that I can choose where to place my attention, rather than being pulled in every direction by the noise around me.
The image I want to keep is simple: walking calmly through the rain, still clear about where I am going.
Source
The lines are from Su Shi’s Ding Feng Bo. Read the original poem. The English wording above is an interpretive rendering; the reflection is my own.