Farewell to a Recluse of Mount Sung
- Poetry of Li Bai (Li Po)
I have a long, long-existing cot
‘Neath the Fair Maiden Peak, a lovely spot.
I will keep for you a brilliant moon
Above the pine-clad east creek, hung so high.
You’ll go to cull the herb of immortality
With the grass of sweet flag ‘neath the purple sky.
I’ll visit you there some day, for long
I’ll ride a white dragon in the blue sky.
Composed during Li Bai's travels through the Liang-Song and Qi-Lu regions, this poem represents a quintessential example of his farewell verses dedicated to reclusive friends. The dedicatee, "Hermit Yang"—a noble scholar dwelling in seclusion on Mount Song (though historical details remain obscure)—embodies Li Bai's idealized conception of the eremitic tradition. As a sacred Daoist site whose Jade Maiden Peak is steeped in legends of immortal inhabitants, Mount Song serves not merely as a geographical backdrop for the parting, but as a symbolic conduit for expressing the poet's yearning for transcendent realms and spiritual liberation.
我有万古宅，嵩阳玉女峰。
长留一片月，挂在东溪松。
尔去掇仙草，菖蒲花紫茸。
岁晚或相访，青天骑白龙。
- 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.
- The Trader’s Joy
- Seeking the Hermitage of the Reverend Yong
- Dedicated to Yuan Danqiu’s Mountain Home
- The Temple on the Summit
- The orchid
- After Rain at the River Crossing
- Dawn Visit to Yu Pool with Hermit Xie
- To Censors Li and Yuan, with a Message for Wu Wuling
- On Hearing of the Imperial Plowing Ceremony
- Summer Nap