Recalling Old Journeys in Wanling
- Poetry of Lu Guimeng

《怀宛陵旧游》

English Rendering

I remember the fine land of Lingyang in bygone days,

With Hsieh Tiao's green hills and Li Bai's towers ablaze.

Only the thoughts on the stream at sunset still stay—

A tavern sign's shadow falls where spring streams flow away.

Recalling Old Journeys in Wanling by Lu Guimeng

Original Text (中文原文)

陵阳佳地昔年游，谢脁青山李白楼。

唯有日斜溪上思，酒旗风影落春流。

Analysis & Context

This poem was written by Lu Guimeng in remembrance of his past travels in Xuancheng. Wanling, present-day Xuancheng in Anhui, has since ancient times been a renowned scenic area in Jiangnan, home to such famous sites as Lingyang Mountain, Wanxi Stream, and Juxi Stream. During the Southern Qi Dynasty, Xie Tiao served as governor of Xuancheng and built "Xie's Tower"; later generations, honoring his landscape poetry, acclaimed him as "the ancestor of landscape poetry." In the High Tang, Li Bai also visited Xuancheng, climbed Xie's Tower multiple times, and left behind widely cherished verses. Living in the late Tang—a time of turmoil and intense factional strife—Lu Guimeng did not advance in official career and often sought solace in landscapes with friends like Pi Rixiu, expressing his feelings through poetry. In this short poem, he recalls past travels, using scenery and historical sites to convey his admiration for earlier worthies and lament his own life circumstances.

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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