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Sòng Yǒu RénFarewell to a Friend 送友人

Li Bai (李白, also known as Li Po, Li Taibai)｜High Tang｜five-character regulated verse

Li Bai's farewell with clouds, sunset and neighing horses.

Original Chinese text with pinyin

青山横北郭
qīng shān héng běi guō

白水绕东城
bái shuǐ rào dōng chéng

此地一为别
cǐ dì yī wéi bié

孤蓬万里征
gū péng wàn lǐ zhēng

浮云游子意
fú yún yóu zǐ yì

落日故人情
luò rì gù rén qíng

挥手自兹去
huī shǒu zì zī qù

萧萧班马鸣
xiāo xiāo bān mǎ míng

Simplified characters; traditional title: 送友人.

English translation

Green mountains bar the northern sky;

White water girds the eastern town.

Here is the place to say goodbye;

You'll drift like lonely thistledown.

With floating cloud you'll float away;

Like parting day I'll part from you.

You wave your hand and go your way;

Our steeds still neigh as if to say adieu.

Original translation by Poetune — literal but poetic, written for this site.

Line by line

青山横北郭 · qīng shān héng běi guō — Green mountains bar the northern sky;

白水绕东城 · bái shuǐ rào dōng chéng — White water girds the eastern town.

此地一为别 · cǐ dì yī wéi bié — Here is the place to say goodbye;

孤蓬万里征 · gū péng wàn lǐ zhēng — You'll drift like lonely thistledown.

浮云游子意 · fú yún yóu zǐ yì — With floating cloud you'll float away;

落日故人情 · luò rì gù rén qíng — Like parting day I'll part from you.

挥手自兹去 · huī shǒu zì zī qù — You wave your hand and go your way;

萧萧班马鸣 · xiāo xiāo bān mǎ míng — Our steeds still neigh as if to say adieu.

Meaning and imagery

The opening is a painted landscape of blue hills and white water. The tumbleweed is the image of a rootless traveler. The third couplet is celebrated for its compression: the drifting cloud is the friend's mood, the lingering sunset is the poet's reluctance to part. The final line gives the sadness to the horses, which neigh as they separate.

Background

Written by Li Bai for an unnamed friend.

Key words

郭 guō: outer city wall
孤蓬 gū péng: a lone tumbleweed
班马 bān mǎ: horses leaving the herd

About the poet: Li Bai

Li Bai (also romanized Li Po; courtesy name Taibai) is celebrated as the "Immortal of Poetry." Raised in Sichuan, he spent much of his life wandering, briefly served at the court of Emperor Xuanzong in Chang'an, and is remembered for his love of wine, the moon and untamed nature. He and Du Fu are regarded as the two greatest poets of the Tang dynasty.

Lifetime: 701–762. Other famous works: Farewell to a Friend (送友人); Song of Qiupu (White Hair) (秋浦歌); Midnight Song of Wu (Autumn) (子夜吴歌); Question and Answer in the Mountains (山中问答); For Wang Lun (赠汪伦); The Road Is Hard (行路难); Sitting Alone Facing Jingting Mountain (独坐敬亭山); Written as a Traveler (客中作); Song of the Moon over Mount Emei (峨眉山月歌); Resentment (怨情); Farewell to Meng Haoran at Yellow Crane Tower (黄鹤楼送孟浩然之广陵); Quiet Night Thoughts (静夜思); Bring In the Wine (将进酒); Drinking Alone Under the Moon (月下独酌); Viewing the Waterfall at Mount Lu (望庐山瀑布); Leaving Baidi City at Dawn (早发白帝城); The Hard Road to Shu (蜀道难); Gazing at Tianmen Mountain (望天门山); Song of Changgan (长干行); Boating on Dongting Lake (陪族叔刑部侍郞晔及中书贾舎人至游洞庭); Song of the Yue Girl (越女词); Visiting a Taoist on Mount Daitian (访戴天山道士不遇); Easing My Heart (自遣); A Summer Day in the Mountains (夏日山中); Farewell at a Jinling Tavern (金陵酒肆留别); Song of the Bright Moon (古朗月行); Drinking on Dragon Mountain on the Ninth (九日龙山饮); Drinking with a Hermit in the Mountains (山中与幽人对酌); Song of Pure Peace (清平调其一); Song of Pure Peace III (清平调其三); Song of Youth (少年行); Down Through Jingmen in Autumn (秋下荆门); Crossing Jingmen (渡荆门送别); Staying the Night at a Mountain Temple (夜宿山寺); For Meng Haoran (赠孟浩然).