Is it raining on the river all the way to Chu? ---
The evening bell comes to us from Nanjing.
Your wet sail drags and is loath to be going
And shadowy birds are flying slow.
We cannot see the deep ocean-gate --
Only the boughs at Pukou, newly dripping.
Likewise, because of our great love,
There are threads of water on our faces.
楚江微雨里，建业暮钟时。
漠漠帆来重，冥冥鸟去迟。
海门深不见，浦树远含滋。
相送情无限，沾襟比散丝。
Composed during Wei Yingwu's service in Nanjing (ancient Jianye), this poem captures the poignant moment of seeing off his friend Li Cao amid riverine drizzle and twilight bell-tones. As misty rain blends with gathering dusk along the Yangtze, the poet stands witness to his friend's receding boat, transforming the parting scene into a meditation on life's impermanence. Through delicate natural imagery, Wei creates an atmosphere of profound wistfulness—both a documentary of farewell and an embodiment of Jiangnan's melancholic beauty that frequently graces his verses.
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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