Far off in the clouds stand the walls of Hanyang,
Another day's journey for my lone sail...
Though a river-merchant ought to sleep in this calm weather,
I listen to the tide at night and voices of the boatmen.
...My thin hair grows wintry, like the triple Xiang streams,
Three thousand miles my heart goes, homesick with the moon;
But the war has left me nothing of my heritage --
And oh, the pang of hearing these drums along the river!
Original Poem:
「晚次鄂州」
卢纶
云开远见汉阳城，犹是孤帆一日程。
估客昼眠知浪静，舟人夜语觉潮生。
三湘衰鬓逢秋色，万里归心对月明。
旧业已随征战尽，更堪江上鼓鼙声！
Interpretation:
This is a poem that expresses his feelings about the scene, depicting the infinite sadness of old age and the feeling of returning home and being tired of war. At that time, Lu Lun was forced to escape from the An Shi Rebellion and fled from the north to the south, passing through Ezhou and preparing to go to the area of San Xiang, and he wrote this poem on his way to the south.
The clouds are clearing, and you can see the city of Hanyang in the distance, but because it is far away, this lonely ship still has a day’s journey ahead of it. The first line of the poem is the title of the poem, describing the joy of the mood. The second line makes a sudden turn, revealing a somber mood. The poet has been wandering in the war, and has been tired of traveling for a long time, hoping to have a resting place as soon as possible. Therefore, once the clouds and mist cleared, how could I not be happy when I saw the city of Hanyang. The word “still” highlights the poet’s emotional loss. These two lines, seemingly ordinary narrative, but as if people hear the poet strumming the mournful and lingering strings, pouring out the inner loneliness.
Merchants are used to walking on the river and lake, know that now calm; in the middle of the night to listen to the boatman, understand that the river is going to rise. The poet writes about the usual scene in the boat, but the ink reveals his disturbed mood day and night.
Writing in motion, writing in motion, are the local scenery of the boat, written in a detailed and intriguing twists and turns.
Poem translator:
Kiang Kanghu
About the poet:
Lu Lun (卢纶), 748 – 798 A.D., was a native of Yongji, Shanxi Province, and was one of the “Ten Scholarly Men of the Dali Dynasty”. Lu Lun was a judge of the Marshal’s Office in Hezhong, and he served as the inspector of the Ministry of Revenue. His poems were more eloquent and liberal, with many works of farewells and rewards, as well as works reflecting the life of sol
