In the Fourth-month the south wind blows plains of yellow barley,
Date-Rowers have not faded yet and lakka-leaves are long.
The green peak that we left at dawn we still can see at evening,
While our horses whinny on the road, eager to turn homeward .
…Ch'en, my friend, you have always been a great and good man,
With your dragon's moustache, tiger's eyebrows and your massive forehead.
In your bosom you have shelved away ten thousand volumes.
You have held your head high, never bowed it in the dust.
…After buying us wine and pledging us, here at the eastern gate,
And taking things as lightly as a wildgoose feather,
Flat you lie, tipsy, forgetting the white sun;
But now and then you open your eyes and gaze at a high lone cloud.
. The tide-head of the long river joins the darkening sky.
The ferryman beaches his boat. It has grown too late to sail.
And people on their way from Cheng cannot go home,
And people from Lo-yang sigh with disappointment.
…I have heard about the many friends around your woodland dwelling.
Yesterday you were dismissed. Are they your friends today?
Original Poem:
「送陈章甫」
李颀
四月南风大麦黄，枣花未落桐叶长。
青山朝别暮还见，嘶马出门思旧乡。
陈侯立身何坦荡，虬须虎眉仍大颡。
腹中贮书一万卷，不肯低头在草莽。
东门酤酒饮我曹，心轻万事如鸿毛。
醉卧不知白日暮，有时空望孤云高。
长河浪头连天黑，津吏停舟渡不得。
郑国游人未及家，洛阳行子空叹息。
闻道故林相识多，罢客昨日今如何。
Interpretation:
This is a poem of farewell, and the theme of farewell category occupies a large proportion in Tang poems, so it is not easy to write something new, and this poem of farewell by Li Chip has its novelty. Like other narrative poems, the first two lines are to explain the time, place, people and events. The poem begins by using several common images to provide this information. The south wind, barley, jujube blossoms, and tung leaves create the season of early summer. Then it is about sending someone back to his hometown, positively describing Chen Zhangfu’s qualities as a man with an open heart, a lofty image, a belly full of scriptures and high aspirations. When he writes about the scene before sending off, when the two of them drink and say goodbye, the author feels more deeply Chen Zhangfu’s unwillingness to be dusty and his noble and unalloyed integrity, and writes about sending off, using the waves of the Yellow River and the dangers of the crossing as a symbol of the difficulty of life’s path.
The last line is the highlight of the whole poem, and it is also the difference between this poem and other farewell poems. It says, “I heard that there are many old friends who were forced to resign from the government and go back to their hometowns because of their lack of ambition, and after they have gone back, what should be their present situation and moods? The implication is that it is difficult to realise the ideals of the talented and so they have to retire to the mountains and forests. Can they really enjoy the mountains and rivers and forget their sorrows after they have dismissed their offices? I hope so. I hope the disillusioned Chen Zhangfu can really find a spiritual home, and I also suggest that although I am still looking for an opportunity, I will inevitably have to embark on the path of seclusion in the future.
The structure of this poem is clear, except for the last line, it is a group of two couplets, and the meanings expressed are unfolded layer by layer. There are two keys to understanding this poem. One is that the ancients, especially in the Tang Dynasty, were full of enthusiasm for political ideals, and the road taken by the general readers was “reading – roaming – imperial examinations”, and part of the people who joined the civil service embarked on the path of being an official. One part of the people who joined the civil service went on the way to become an official, and the other part of the disillusioned people fell into the rivers and winds, and finally had to retire to the mountains and forests, and it seemed that there was no third way to go. The place of farewell in this poem is Luoyang, indicating that they were looking for opportunities to develop in the political centre, but they always failed to meet the demands of their talents, and resentment accompanied these scholars. What this poem is trying to express is in fact this kind of sadness of not being met. Secondly, the poem employs a way of writing in which the subject and object reflect each other, that is, whenever the object is written about, it is a mirror, and the author’s own image can be seen in the object.
Chen Zhangfu’s disillusionment is actually the author’s own disillusionment; the subject’s heart, knowledge and temperament are also the reflection of the author’s own qualities; Chen Zhangfu’s desire to go back to the old forest is his own intention. Therefore, although it is a farewell poem, it is also a poem of clear ambition, which is what makes this poem so touching.
Poem translator:
Kiang Kanghu
