Wistful, away from my friends and kin,
Through mist and fog I float and float
With the sail that bears me toward Loyang.
In Yangzhou trees linger bell-notes of evening,
Marking the day and the place of our parting....
When shall we meet again and where?
...Destiny is a boat on the waves,
Borne to and fro, beyond our will.
凄凄去亲爱，泛泛入烟雾。
归棹洛阳人，残钟广陵树。
今朝此为别，何处还相遇？
世事波上舟，沿洄安得住！
Five-character-ancient-verse
Composed by Wei Yingwu during his northward journey from Yangzhou to Luoyang, this poem was written as his boat departed Guangling through misty canals. The melancholic farewell to his friend Yuan Da intertwines with the hazy riverscape, where temple bells, distant trees and passing boats all become vessels of parting sorrow. Blending personal grief with reflections on life's impermanence, this emotionally resonant work stands as a masterpiece among Wei's lyrical poems.
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