Farewell to Attendant Official Zhang, Departing for Jiangxi
- Poetry of Cui Dong
A distant mission begins, long prepared—
farewell wine was poured just yesterday.
Your gate lies deep where autumn trees age,
your road emerges with the evening tide.
In Jianli, scholars of renown abound;
the southeast breeds its finest minds.
One day, when duties give you rest,
may you still recall this branch I’ve planted.
Composed during the mid-to-late Tang Dynasty when social turbulence increasingly strained scholar-officials' careers, Cui Dong's poem exemplifies his characteristically serene and refined style. Written upon his friend Attendant Zhang's departure for a new post in Jiangxi, this regulated verse conveys not only parting sorrow but also profound encouragement - a literati farewell that transcends mere sentimentality to articulate shared ideals, official aspirations, and personal integrity. With concise yet suggestive language and understated sincerity, the poem showcases Cui Dong's poetic mastery and humanistic spirit as one of the "Ten Great Talents of the Dali Era."
远使经年发，离尊昨日开。
门深秋树老，路出晚潮来。
建礼多名士，东南有秀才。
他时从政暇，应念一枝栽。
- Why Chinese poems is so special?
- The most distinctive features of Chinese poetry are: concision- many poems are only four lines, and few are much longer than eight; ambiguity- number, tense and parts of speech are often undetermined, creating particularly rich interpretative possibilities; and structure- most poems follow quite strict formal patterns which have beauty in themselves as well as highlighting meaningful contrasts.
- How to read a Chinese poem?
- Like an English poem, but more so. Everything is there for a reason, so try to find that reason. Think about all the possible connotations, and be aware of the different possibilities of number and tense. Look for contrasts: within lines, between the lines of each couplet and between successive couplets. Above all, don't worry about what the poet meant- find your meaning.
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