Seeing a Guest Off to Jiangning
- Poetry of Han Hong
Spring rivers bear your boat—no need for haste—
South to Xuzhou, where willow-down flies light.
By Red-Bird Bridge, watch Huai's waves in their chase,
In Black-Robe Lane, ask where Wang clans alight.
A thousand streets, ten thousand wells at rest—
Doors open wide to emerald hills' embrace.
Chu morns descend on Stone-Town's crest,
Temple of Tiles sees paired swallows race.
Wu's scholars, charming as the breeze,
Will greet you with new-wrought delight.
Here, some still praise the northern cheese,
But southern herbs will steal your appetite!
This poem was composed during the mid-to-late Tang period by Han Hong as a farewell piece for a friend departing to assume office in Jiangning (modern Nanjing). Though the identity of the recipient remains unknown, the verses trace a journey south through Xuzhou, past landmarks like the Vermilion Bird Bridge and Black Robe Lane before reaching Jiangning. Han Hong masterfully interweaves depictions of Jiangning's natural scenery and cultural heritage with auspicious wishes for his friend's official career. While maintaining the polished rhetoric characteristic of occasional poetry, the work flows with lyrical ease, showcasing the poet's signature literary brilliance.
春流送客不应赊，南入徐州见柳花。
朱雀桥边看淮水，乌衣巷里问王家。
千闾万井无多事，辟户开门向山翠。
楚云朝下石头城，江燕双飞瓦棺寺。
吴士风流甚可亲，相逢嘉赏日应新。
从来此地夸羊酪，自有莼羹定却人。
- 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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