We know there’ll be another day,
Yet tonight it’s hard to part.
Don’t say old friends’ wine holds no sway—
It beats the headwind’s thwarting art!
Original Poem
「留卢秦卿」
司空曙
知有前期在，难分此夜中。
无将故人酒，不及石尤风。
Interpretation
This poem was composed during the Tang Dynasty, though its exact date remains unknown. Written by Sikong Shu to his close friend Lu Qinqing upon their separation, it conveys profound reluctance to part. Within the Tang scholarly culture of frequent social exchanges, farewell poems were a perennial theme—yet this work subverts conventional structure through reverse narrative sequencing, intensifying the emotional urgency of bidding farewell and the depth of friendship, making its sentiment all the more moving.
First Couplet: "知有前期在，难分此夜中。"
Zhī yǒu qiánqī zài, nán fēn cǐ yè zhōng.
Though knowing future meetings await, / Tonight's parting rends the heart unwilling.
The opening abruptly mentions "future meetings"—typically a consoling afterthought—here foregrounded to paradoxically heighten the present sorrow. This structural inversion intensifies the "unwilling" separation, while "this very night" roots the emotion in the immediate moment, deepening the poignancy of twilight farewells.
Second Couplet: "无将故人酒，不及石尤风。"
Wú jiāng gùrén jiǔ, bùjí Shíyóu fēng.
Spare your farewell wine, dear friend— / It cannot match Stone-You winds' persistence.
The latter line alludes to Zhuangzi's parable of winds so compelling they detain travelers. The poet transforms this into a metaphor for his own clinging affection: no libations are needed when his heartfelt longing already surpasses any ritual of parting. The colloquial "spare" (无将) masks turbulent emotion beneath surface calm.
Holistic Appreciation
Though merely four lines, this poem is exquisitely structured and profoundly moving. Breaking from the conventional farewell-poem template of "emotion first, promise later," Sikong Shu reverses the approach—opening abruptly with "future plans," then pivoting sharply to "unwilling parting" and "adverse winds." This creates a striking sense of urgency and novelty, showcasing the poet's masterful control of expression and emotion. Without elaborate description or ornate diction, the poem builds emotional intensity layer by layer to its climax, standing as a paradigm of distilled sentiment in the jueju (绝句) form.
Artistic Merits
This poem triumphs through its inverted structure—deceptively simple language concealing deep feeling. The plainspoken lines brim with fervent emotion, while the allusion to "Shi You winds" elevates the scene from reality to mythic resonance, enriching its meaning through典故. Within tight constraints, the poet crystallizes the poignant tension of "knowing one cannot stay yet striving to delay"—a distinctive artistic hallmark among Tang farewell poems.
Insights
Life brims with farewells, yet what truly stirs the heart is not voluminous pleas to stay, but those moments when love speaks plainly despite inevitability. Sikong Shu’s miniature masterpiece reminds us: to cherish the present and voice sincerity holds more power than any ceremony. Amid life’s chaos, such unguarded tenderness remains its indispensable warmth.
About the poet
Sikong Shu (司空曙), c. 720 – c. 790, courtesy name Wenming, was a native of Guangping (present-day Yongnian County, Hebei Province). A renowned mid-Tang dynasty poet, he was one of the "Ten Literary Masters of the Dali Era," alongside Lu Lun, Qian Qi, Han Hong, Li Duan, and others. Though his life lacked illustrious achievements, his poetry—marked by genuine emotion in simplicity and profound contemplation in solitude—secured him a unique place in mid-Tang literary circles.
