The tavern's sweetened when wind blows in willow-down,
A Southern maiden urges the guests to taste her wine.
My dear young ftiends have come to see me leave fhe town,
They who stay drink their cups and Iwho leave drink mine.
Oh! ask the river flowing to the east, I pray,
If he is happier to go than I to stay!
风吹柳花满店香，吴姬压酒唤客尝。
金陵子弟来相送，欲行不行各尽觞。
请君试问东流水，别意与之谁短长。
This poem was composed as Li Bai prepared to leave Jinling (modern-day Nanjing), where his friends held a farewell banquet for him. Using the beautiful spring scenery and the lively atmosphere of the tavern, the poet expresses his reluctance to part with his friends. This is a classic farewell poem, blending the sorrow of parting with a sense of free-spiritedness and boldness.
Classical Chinese poetry thrives on Concision and Ambiguity. Without tense or number, the words create a timeless space where the reader becomes the co-creator of the poem's meaning.
Look for Contrasts: light and shadow, movement and stillness. Don't just translate the words; feel the Yijing (artistic conception) that lingers long after the last character.
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