Farewell to Magistrate Jia Heng
- Poetry of Qiwu Qian
Parting at Xin’an, the Yue guest sighs,
Yearning for Qin’s old land with tearful eyes.
His boat rides the night breeze with ease,
Moonlit tides calm as he flees.
By flowery paths near Xishi’s stone,
Through cloud-peaked walls of Goujian’s throne.
To Mingzhou’s clerks I send this word—
Our mutual grief turns hair to frosty herd.
This poem was composed during Qiwu Qian’s exile in Mingzhou, where he served after political setbacks in the capital. Separated from his homeland and fellow exiles—Jia Heng, a local official, and Wen and Zhang, clerks in the administration—Qiwu Qian channels his solitude into this parting verse. Blending farewell sentiments with vivid depictions of Yue’s landscapes, the poem reflects the poet’s longing for companionship amid displacement, weaving personal grief with historical echoes of the region.
越客新安别，秦人旧国情。
舟乘晚风便，月带上潮平。
花路西施石，云峰句践城。
明州报两掾，相忆二毛生。
- 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.