The sea is far and wide.
Who knows the other side?
How far is it away?
A thousand miles, you say.
Look at the sun, O please!
Your sail should trust the breeze.
Turtles bear the dark sky;
Giant fish raise waves high.
When you are in your isle,
There're trees from mile to mile.
Though we're separated for long,
Would you send me your song?
积水不可极，安知沧海东。
九州何处远，万里若乘空。
向国唯看日，归帆但信风。
鳌身映天黑，鱼眼射波红。
乡树扶桑外，主人孤岛中。
别离方异域，音信若为通。
Composed during the High Tang period when frequent diplomatic exchanges occurred between Tang China and Japan, this poem bids farewell to the Japanese scholar Abe no Nakamaro (Chinese name Chao Heng), who studied in Chang'an during the Taika era. Unlike conventional parting poems dwelling on sorrow, this work emphasizes an imagined perilous journey across vast seas, constructing a breathtaking exotic tableau that embodies the profound cultural bond between the two nations.
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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