Farewell in the Evening Rain to Li Cao
- Poetry of Wei Yingwu
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.
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.
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。
- 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.
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