From the temple, deep in its tender bamboos,
Comes the low sound of an evening bell,
While the hat of a pilgrim carries the sunset
Farther and farther down the green mountain.
Original Poem:
「送灵澈上人」
刘长卿
苍苍竹林寺，杳杳钟声晚。
荷笠带斜阳，青山独归远。
Interpretation:
Around 769-770 AD, Liu Changqing and Ling Che met and parted in Runzhou. Since his return from Maoming, Guangdong in 761, Liu Changqing had been disillusioned and depressed. Ling Che, who had not yet made a name for himself in poetry and was travelling in the south of the Yangtze River, was not in a comfortable mood either. After his stay in Runzhou, he would return to Zhejiang. At this time, the two are a career disillusionment, a square outside the return to the mountain, can be said to be the same end of the world. On the issue of leaving the world and entering the world, both have the experience of not being able to meet their talents, and share a thin heart. In the first and second lines of the poem, Ling Che is looking at the place where he sleeps in the mountains and forests, and the bells of the temple ringing from afar, pointing out that the time is already dusk, as if urging Ling Che to return to the mountains.
In the third and fourth lines, the scene of Ling Che’s farewell and return is written. Ling Che, wearing a hat and the rays of the setting sun, walks alone towards the green hills, getting farther and farther away. The poet stood to see Ling Che off, reluctant to part with him. This poem shows the poet’s deep affection for Ling Che, and also shows Ling Che’s quiet demeanour as he returns to the mountain.
This poem is about the poet’s mood when he sent Ling Che back to the Bamboo Grove Temple in the evening. It is a masterpiece of landscape poetry in the Middle Tang Dynasty, with a scene that expresses emotions, exquisite ideas, and refined language. The whole poem is like a very beautiful picture. The landscape and characters on the picture are very touching, especially the image of the poet outside the picture, which is very evocative. The chiming bell from the temple touches the poet’s thoughts; and the clear back of the green mountain returning alone evokes the poet’s desire to return. The poet is deeply attached, but is not saddened by the parting due to his indifference. It can be seen that the theme of this poem is to support and reveal the poet’s feelings of being unrecognised for his talent, disillusioned and indifferent, thus constituting a mood of leisure and elegance.
Poem translator:
Kiang Kanghu
About the poet:
Liu Zhangqing (刘长卿-) was a native of Xian County, Hebei Province. He studied at Mt. Songshan when he was young, and later moved to Jiangxi, where he received his bachelor’s degree in 733 A.D. He also belonged to the Wang and Meng school of poetry. His poems belonged to the school of Wang and Meng, and he was most famous for his five-character poems, and was also most conceited, once thinking that he was “the Great Wall of five-character poems”, which meant that no one could surpass him.
