My native land's far, far away,
My nostalgia grows day by day.
Alone on rainy autumn night
I hear homing wild geese in flight.
Original Poem:
「闻雁」
韦应物
故园眇何处，归思方悠哉。
淮南秋雨夜，高斋闻雁来。
Interpretation:
This poem was written in the fourth year of Emperor Dezong's Jianzhong reign (783 AD), when Wei Yingwu was demoted and appointed as the governor of Chuzhou. One autumn night, as he sat alone in his high study during the rain, the sound of geese calling from afar stirred his deep longing for his hometown, prompting him to write this poem.
First Line: “故园眇何处，归思方悠哉。”
(Where is my distant homeland? My thoughts of home grow ever longer and more enduring.)
In this line, the poet uses the character "眇" (distant) to emphasize the great distance of his homeland and the difficulty of returning. The following phrase "归思方悠哉" (the thoughts of home grow long) further depicts his homesickness as an endless and unrelenting feeling. This line creates an atmosphere of longing and melancholy, conveying the poet's deep homesickness.
Second Line: “淮南秋雨夜，高斋闻雁来。”
(On an autumn rainy night in Huainan, I sit in my high study and hear the geese coming.)
This line contrasts "Huainan" with the poet's "hometown," reflecting his solitude in a foreign land and his yearning for his homeland. The autumn rain, the late hour, and the distant sound of geese coming together highlight the poet's emotional turmoil and deep longing, intensifying his feelings of homesickness.
Features of the Poem
This poem uses simple and fresh language to present the poet’s profound homesickness. By delicately describing natural elements such as autumn rain and the sound of geese, the poet skillfully blends emotions of solitude, sorrow, and nostalgia into the poem. The contrast between "故园" (hometown) and "淮南" (Huainan) not only expresses the poet's longing for home but also subtly reveals his disappointment and helplessness in a foreign land. The poem’s language is simple, and its tone is ancient and serene, with a deep sense of melancholy.
Overall Analysis
The entire poem conveys the poet’s inner loneliness and profound yearning for his homeland through vivid depictions of the surrounding landscape. The opening lines, through the depiction of the "distant homeland" and "endless thoughts of home," sketch the poet's boundless longing for his home. Then, as the poet sits alone in his high study, he hears the geese from afar—this sound becomes a trigger for his sorrow in the lonely autumn night. Finally, by leaving the sound of the geese unsaid, the poet creates a space for readers to feel the silent sadness and infinite emotions in his heart. The poem not only expresses homesickness but also subtly hints at the poet's dissatisfaction and frustration with his life in exile.
Insights
Through the delicate portrayal of natural scenes, this poem reveals the poet’s solitude and deep homesickness, highlighting his emotional isolation and longing for his hometown. For modern readers, this emotional connection to one’s homeland and the helplessness of being far away still resonate strongly. People living away from home, especially those far from their homeland, often express their emotions through natural imagery, just as the poet conveys his thoughts and feelings through the sound of geese and autumn rain. This poem makes us realize that emotional expression is not only achieved through words but also through the integration of nature, forming a unique artistic realm.
Poem translator:
Xu Yuan-chong (许渊冲)
About the poet:
Wei Yingwu (韦应物), circa 737 - 786, was a native of Chang'an, Beijing. His poems were collected in the Wei Suzhou Collection, which included poems concerned with the plight of the people, expressions of disobedience to the times and indignation against the world, and descriptions of idyllic landscapes, etc., of which the ones describing idyllic landscapes are the most famous, and have been sung by posterity in particular.
