All alone in a foreign land,
I am twice as homesick on this day
When brothers carry dogwood up the mountain,
Each of them a branch-and my branch missing.
Original Poem:
「九月九日忆山东兄弟」
王维
独在异乡为异客， 每逢佳节倍思亲。
遥知兄弟登高处， 遍插茱萸少一人。
Interpretation:
This poem was written in 717 AD. Compared with Wang Wei’s later fine landscape and idyllic poems, this poem is simple and natural, but with strong feelings. At that time, Wang Wei was in Chang’an, which is located to the west of Mount Hua, so he called his brothers in his hometown, Puzhou, “Shandong Brothers”. The title of the poem indicates that the poem was written because of his nostalgia for his relatives in his hometown during the Chung Yeung Festival.
The first line emphasizes the author’s feelings of loneliness in Chang’an. The first line emphasizes the author’s feeling of being lonely and far away from his relatives in Chang’an. In relation to Wang Wei’s life, at that time, he was pursuing his career in Chang’an, which was a prosperous imperial capital, but the more lively the surroundings were, the lonelier and more lonely the poet appeared to be.
The second line describes an experience that is common to all, and expresses it in seven simple and unadorned words. Homesickness may be present every day, but it is often especially strong when the festive season arrives. Perhaps this is because the festive season is a time for family reunion, or perhaps it is because the festive season brings with it many fond memories.
The third and fourth lines are further associated, no longer saying that he misses his family back home, but imagining that his family back home misses him. He paints an imaginary picture of his brothers who are far east of Mount Hua climbing up the mountain with dogwoods on the Chongyang Festival, and they will remember that I am missing from their side.
Although this poem seems simple and easy, it contains the strong feeling of homesickness. Over the centuries, many people who have traveled to other countries have been deeply infected by this poem, which derives its artistic power from the skillful combination of simplicity, nature and height.
Poem translator:
Kiang Kanghu
About the poet:
Wang Wei (王维), 701-761 A.D., was a native of Yuncheng, Shanxi Province. Wang Wei was a poet of landscape and idylls. His poems of landscape and idylls, with far-reaching images and mysterious meanings, were widely loved by readers in later generations, but Wang Wei never really became a man of landscape and idylls.
