Farewell to a Japanese Monk
- Poetry of Wei Zhuang
《送日本国僧敬龙归》
English Translation
The land of mulberry is in the boundless sea;
Your home's farther east to the land of mulberry.
Who would arrive with you at the land of your dreams?
A sail unfurled in wind, a boat steeped in moonbeams.
This poem was composed during the turbulent late Tang period when domestic upheavals had suspended Japan's official diplomatic missions to China. Japanese monks and scholars thereafter traveled between the two nations via merchant ships. The poet Wei Zhuang, having befriended the Japanese monk Keiryu during his studies in Guozhou, penned this work upon Keiryu's return to Japan—expressing both heartfelt farewell and sincere blessings.
中文原文( Chinese )
扶桑已在渺茫中，家在扶桑东更东。
此去与师谁共到，一船明月一帆风。
Pre： Sidixiang
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- 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.