With this cold night-rain hiding the river, you have come into Wu.
In the level dawn, all alone, you will be starting for the mountains of Chu.
Answer, if they ask of me at Loyang:
"One-hearted as ice in a crystal vase."
Original Poem:
「芙蓉楼送辛渐」
王昌龄
寒雨连江夜入吴，平明送客楚山孤。
洛阳亲友如相问，一片冰心在玉壶。
Interpretation:
This poem was written around 741 AD onwards. It is one of the two poems that Wang Changling wrote to send off his friend Xin Jian at that time.
The first two lines of the poem are: Cold rain pours over the Wu land and the river sky all night long, and after sending you away early in the morning, I am facing the Chu mountains alone with infinite sorrows of separation!
He uses the cold and rainy night into the Wu land to reflect his deep love for his friend. It can be imagined that the author is a night without sleep, floating thoughts, in order to feel the cold rain even the river night of the magnificent momentum. With such a huge ink landscape painting as a padding, the author not only told the true feelings for his friend, but also added an infinite sad atmosphere for the upcoming parting. The lonely Chu Mountain is the author’s self-portrait after his friend’s imminent departure. Lonely Chu Mountain is not only the actual scene, but also the externalization of Wang Changling’s mind.
Sentences 3 and 4: When I arrive at Luoyang, if my friends and relatives ask me about me, please tell them that my heart is still as pure as the ice in a jade pot!
Originally, it was an ordinary greeting, but in Wang Changling’s writing, there was a stone-cold answer. The poet was in the middle of relegation at that time, not only was it a reply to the greetings of friends and relatives, but it was also an emotional outpouring of his own ambition to remain unchanged after repeated relegations.
Wang Changling’s ancient poetry has always been highly respected by future generations, and his subtle, beautiful, deep and long poetic style is well displayed in this stanza. The rain of the vast river, the solitary mountain of Chu, and the ice-clear jade pot that is not stained by the dust of mankind all have deep inner meanings that are closely related to the poet’s character and situation. The exquisite imagery and long-lasting poetic meaning make this little poem a representative work of the beauty of the mood of classical Chinese poetry.
Poem translator:
Kiang Kanghu
About the poet:
Wang Changling (王昌龄), circa A.D. 690 – 756, was a native of Xi’an, Shaanxi Province. Wang Changling’s poems were mostly about the Border Places, love affairs and farewells, and he was well known during his lifetime. His seven poems are equal to those of Li Bai, and he is known as the “Master of seven lines”.
