The poetic inscription is extracted from a Northern Song poem written by Lin Bu (967-1028). It is read as shu ying heng xia, an xiang fu dong, and may be translated as: '[The] sparse shadow [of the prunus branches] reflected at an angle [in the clear and shallow water]; the faint fragrance at dusk can be felt [as the moon rises].'

Shi'an is the hao or sobriquet of Liu Yong (1719-1805), the pre-eminent scholar-official during the Qianlong and Jiaqing periods. Liu Yong is regarded as one of the most influential calligraphers of the period.