Farewell to Liu Yu by Li Qi

In the eighth moon the weed cold grows,
The autumn waves surge with white crest.
The mast shivers as north wind blows;
Why should my guest go to the west?
The rain no longer drizzles on hilltop;
Out of the door rises the evening tide.
At night along the beach my friend should stop.
Hear lonely wild goose cry by riverside!

Original Poem:

「送刘昱」
八月寒苇花，秋江浪头白。
北风吹五两​，谁是浔阳客。
鸬鹚山头微雨晴，扬州郭里暮潮生。
行人夜宿金陵渚，试听沙边有雁声。

李颀

Interpretation:

"Farewell to Liu Yu" is a farewell poem written by the Tang Dynasty poet Li Qi. The poem conveys the poet's complex and emotional feelings as he bids farewell to his friend Liu Yu, who is about to embark on a journey. Standing by the river, facing his departing friend, Li Qi's emotions of longing and sorrow are vividly expressed through the depiction of natural scenes and questions. The poet's reluctance to let go of his friend and the impending separation are delicately conveyed.

1. "八月寒苇花，秋江浪头白"
   In August, the cold reed flowers sway in the wind, and the white waves of the autumn river surge.
   The poet begins by describing the chilly autumn atmosphere. The image of the "cold reed flowers" and the "white waves" creates a sense of desolation, reflecting the emotional undertone of the poem. The starkness of the scene mirrors the poet's feelings of sadness and separation.
2. "北风吹五两，谁是浔阳客"
   The north wind blows the "five stars" on the boat's mast, but who is the traveler heading to Xunyang?
   The poet's question "Who is the traveler heading to Xunyang?" serves as an emotional expression of reluctance. Although it is clear that Liu Yu is the one leaving, this rhetorical question deepens the poet's sorrow and conveys his hesitation to see his friend depart.
3. "鸬鹚山头微雨晴，扬州郭里暮潮生"
   After the light rain on the cormorant mountain, the sky clears, and the evening tide rises around Yangzhou.
   This scene subtly marks the approach of the departure. The natural changes—the clearing sky and rising tide—serve as metaphors for the inevitable departure. The poet expresses both the inevitability of the separation and the refreshing feeling that comes with the journey ahead.
4. "行人夜宿金陵渚，试听沙边有雁声"
   The traveler will spend the night on the shore of Jinling, and might hear the sound of geese on the sand.
   The poet imagines the journey ahead, pondering the solitude that Liu Yu will face. The mention of "geese calls" symbolizes loneliness and departure, as the geese are often seen as a symbol of migration and separation. This deepens the emotional weight of the poem, emphasizing the theme of solitude in travel.

Stylistic Features

1. Nature as a Reflection of Emotion
   The poet skillfully integrates natural imagery—such as the autumn river, reed flowers, and rising tide—with his internal emotions. These elements do not simply describe the scenery but also reflect the poet's melancholy and the sorrow of parting. The landscape and the emotions blend seamlessly, creating a poignant atmosphere.
2. Use of Rhetorical Questions to Enhance Emotion
   The rhetorical question "Who is the traveler heading to Xunyang?" amplifies the poet's emotional depth. It reflects the poet’s internal reluctance and expresses a longing for the departure to be postponed. This question adds a layer of complexity to the emotional landscape of the poem.
3. Imaginative Projection to Express Loneliness
   The poet's imagination regarding Liu Yu’s potential solitude ("geese calls on the sand") serves to intensify the emotion of loneliness. The "geese calls" symbolize the friend’s journey away from the poet, with the sound of the geese evoking feelings of abandonment and isolation.
4. Changes in Rhythm and Sound to Express Emotional Shifts
   The rhythm of the poem transitions from a more urgent, quick-paced tone in the first part to a slower, more contemplative rhythm in the latter half. This change in pace mirrors the emotional shift from the intensity of departure to the melancholy of impending separation, contributing to the overall emotional arc of the poem.

Overall Appreciation

"Farewell to Liu Yu" is a masterpiece of Tang Dynasty farewell poetry, intricately weaving together natural imagery and emotional expression. Through vivid descriptions of the autumn river, reed flowers, and the rising tide, Li Qi conveys both the inevitability and sadness of parting. The use of rhetorical questions, imagined future scenarios, and symbolic imagery like the "geese calls" all deepen the emotional resonance of the poem. The gradual shift in rhythm reflects the poet's emotional transition, making the poem's emotional progression rich and layered.

Insights

This poem offers valuable insights into expressing emotional depth through imagery and rhetorical techniques. The seamless integration of nature with personal feelings allows the poet to convey complex emotions such as sorrow, solitude, and longing. The use of rhetorical questions enhances the emotional intensity and complexity of the poem, while the imagined scenarios bring out a sense of loneliness. The variation in rhythm and sound further enriches the poem's emotional expression, showing us how important it is to use rhythm to mirror the emotional journey in poetry.

Poem translator:

Xu Yuan-chong (许渊冲)

About the poet:

Li Qi (李颀), A.D. 690 - c. 753, was a poet of the Tang Dynasty, a native of Zhao County, Hebei Province. Li Qi was famous for his seven ancient poems, and most of the surviving Border Plug poems are in the form of songs and lines. Li Qi's poems are characterized by vigorous writing, lofty realm, and tragic style, and he is one of the representatives of the Border Plugging Poetry School.