English Rendering
All willow-down has fallen and sad cuckoos cry
To hear you banished southwestward beyond Five Streams.
I would confide my sorrow to the moon on high
For it will follow you west of the Land of Dreams.
To Wang Changling Banished to the West
- Poetry of Li Bai (Li Po)
《闻王昌龄左迁龙标遥有此寄》
Original Text (中文原文)
杨花落尽子规啼，闻道龙标过五溪。
我寄愁心与明月，随君直到夜郎西。
Analysis & Context
This poem was composed during Emperor Xuanzong's Tianbao era when Li Bai learned that his close friend Wang Changling had been demoted to Longbiao (present-day Qianyang, Hunan) due to "minor improprieties." Filled with righteous indignation and profound regret, Li Bai wrote this poem to express his longing and consolation. Wang Changling, renowned for his masterful quatrains and literary fame, suffered repeated setbacks in his official career, making this demotion particularly unjust. Through natural imagery and the moon, Li Bai conveys his deep friendship while reflecting on life's unpredictability.
Reader's Companion
The Essence of the Verse
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.
Reading Between the Lines
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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