Farewell at the Pavilion of Xie
- Poetry of Xu Hun

《谢亭送别》
#Parting #Friend

English Rendering

After the parting song, the boat is set free to glide;

Red leaves on green hills, the rushing river tide.

At day’s end, sobering from wine, I find he’s long gone;

In a sky full of wind and rain, I descend the west tower alone.

Farewell at the Pavilion of Xie by Xu Hun #Parting #Friend
Farewell at the Pavilion of Xie by Xu Hun #Parting #Friend

Original Text (中文原文)

劳歌一曲解行舟,红叶青山水急流。

日暮酒醒人已远,满天风雨下西楼。

Analysis & Context

This poem is a renowned farewell piece by the late Tang poet Xu Hun, composed after parting with a friend at the Pavilion of Xie in Xuanzhou (present-day Xuancheng, Anhui). Xu Hun, famous for his poems meditating on the past and on parting, often reflected on traces of history in landscapes, lamenting the meetings and separations of life.

Reader's Companion

The Essence of the Verse

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.

Reading Between the Lines

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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