A Song at Weicheng
- Poetry of Wang Wei

《渭城曲》

English Translation

A morning-rain has settled the dust in Weicheng;

Willows are green again in the tavern dooryard....

Wait till we empty one more cup --

West of Yang Gate there'll be no old friends.

Folk-song-styled-verse

Composed during Emperor Xuanzong's Tianbao era (742-756 AD), this poem captures Wang Wei's farewell to his friend Yuan Er, who was departing for the Anxi Protectorate (modern Kuqa, Xinjiang). Set at Weicheng (near present-day Xi'an)—a vital gateway to the Western Regions—the work distills friendship and parting sorrow into morning spring scenery and a single wine toast, creating an unparalleled masterpiece of farewell poetry that resonates across millennia.

中文原文( Chinese )

Simplified Chinese Version

渭城朝雨浥轻尘，客舍青青柳色新。

劝君更尽一杯酒，西出阳关无故人。

Traditional Chinese Version

渭城朝雨浥輕塵，客舍青青柳色新。

勸君更盡一杯酒，西出陽關無故人。

Pre： On the Mountain Holiday Thinking of My Brothers in Shandong

Next：A Song of an Autumn Night

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.

A Song at Weicheng - Poetry of Wang Wei

A Song at Weicheng
- Poetry of Wang Wei