The river’s water is as green as the sky;
It’s said that it joins the sea far and nigh.
We’re going to part a thousand miles away;
Let’s drown in wine our sorrow today!
The valley birds sing in the day;
The river apes wail at night.
I have seldom shed tears in my life,
But I can’t dry them today in my plight.
Original Poem
「江夏别宋之悌」
李白
楚水清若空，遥将碧海通。
人分千里外，兴在一杯中。
谷鸟吟晴日，江猿啸晚风。
平生不下泪，于此泣无穷。
Interpretation
Composed in 735 CE during Li Bai's sojourn in Jiangxia, this poem marks the farewell to Song Zhi ti, brother of early Tang poet Song Zhi wen. As governor of Taiyuan exiled to Jiaozhi (modern Hanoi), Song's banishment to malarial lands made this parting extraordinary—potentially a final separation. The poem's emotional progression from resilience to profound sorrow reveals a deeply compassionate side of Li Bai rarely seen in his more celebratory works.
First Couplet: "楚水清若空，遥将碧海通。"
Chǔ shuǐ qīng ruò kōng, yáo jiāng bì hǎi tōng.
Chu's waters clear as empty sky, Meet distant blue seas where they lie.
The opening establishes vast spatial imagery. "Chu's waters" and "blue seas" metaphorically trace the friend's long exile journey. "Clear as empty sky" describes both the river's transparency and the poet's inner desolation. The natural watercourse connection becomes a cruel separation path, setting a majestic yet sorrowful tone.
Second Couplet: "人分千里外，兴在一杯中。"
Rén fēn qiān lǐ wài, xìng zài yī bēi zhōng.
We part for a thousand miles away; All feeling dwells in this wine today.
This couplet epitomizes Li Bai's signature blend of boldness and concision. The contrast between "thousand miles" and "one cup" compresses immense distance into a wine cup, highlighting separation's weight and friendship's value. "Feeling" superficially refers to wine's excitement but actually conveys unspoken emotions, showing the poet's attempt to counter sorrow with boldness.
Third Couplet: "谷鸟吟晴日，江猿啸晚风。"
Gǔ niǎo yín qíng rì, jiāng yuán xiào wǎn fēng.
Valley birds sing in sunny light; River apes wail in evening's plight.
This couplet uses joyful scenery to express sorrow through contrast. "Birds singing in sunshine" creates bright scenery that accentuates the parting pair's melancholy; "apes wailing in evening wind" directly echoes the poet's rising grief. The shift from bright to dark, joyful to sorrowful, mirrors the poet's emotional transformation.
Fourth Couplet: "平生不下泪，于此泣无穷。"
Píngshēng bù xià lèi, yú cǐ qì wúqióng.
A lifetime never shedding tears; Now an endless flow appears.
The conclusion delivers emotional catharsis with shocking power. Known for his "laughing as I leave" bold persona, Li Bai's admission of "endless tears" creates dramatic contrast that resonates deeply. This expresses profound grief for his friend's plight, silent protest against unjust fate, and authentic fear that this parting may be final.
Holistic Appreciation
The poem's power lies in its layered emotional authenticity. A clear progression unfolds: the first couplet suppresses sorrow with majestic scenery; the second attempts forced solace through wine; the third reveals emerging grief through nature's contrast; the finale erupts in unrestrained tears. This complete emotional collapse shows Li Bai transitioning from "bold scholar" to "mortal man," revealing the tender authenticity beneath his tough exterior. Such unpretentious depth makes this farewell poem particularly precious among Li Bai's works.
Artistic Merits
- Dialectical Emotional Structure: The poem develops through multiple contrasts—"empty" vs. "connected," "parting" vs. "feeling," "singing" vs. "wailing," "no tears" vs. "endless tears"—creating intense emotional tension.
- Strategic Imagery Selection and Combination: "Chu's waters" and "blue seas" build spatial awareness; "valley birds" and "river apes" create emotional contrast, collectively serving the layered emotional progression.
- Skillful Numerical Application: The contrast between "thousand miles" distance and "one cup" proximity, "lifetime" duration and "this moment" brevity, intensifies emotional impact through numerical juxtaposition.
- Subversive Conclusive Power: Ending with "endless tears" shatters Li Bai's established bold image, yet achieves deeper, more universal human resonance through this vulnerability.
Insights
This poem reveals a more complete, authentic Li Bai. True strength isn't about never shedding tears, but having the courage to weep for worthy people and causes; genuine boldness involves not just laughing at partings, but deeply experiencing separation's pain while still cherishing friendship and life's passion. In contemporary society where strength and rationality are often demanded, this poem reminds us that acknowledging and expressing vulnerability and sadness remains an indispensable part of our humanity. Those "endless tears" for a banished friend, transcending millennia, still tell us: there remain emotions in this world worth crying for—and this, precisely, proves our humanity.
About the poet
Li Bai (李白), 701 - 762 A.D., whose ancestral home was in Gansu, was preceded by Li Guang, a general of the Han Dynasty. Tang poetry is one of the brightest constellations in the history of Chinese literature, and one of the brightest stars is Li Bai.
