Pure wine costs, for the golden cup, ten thousand coppers a flagon,
And a jade plate of dainty food calls for a million coins.
I fling aside my food-sticks and cup, I cannot eat nor drink
I pull out my dagger, I peer four ways in vain.
I would cross the Yellow River, but ice chokes the ferry;
I would climb the T'ai-hang Mountains, but the sky is blind with snow...
I would sit and poise a fishing-pole, lazy by a brook -
But I suddenly dream of riding a boat, sailing for the sun
Journeying is hard,
Journeying is hard.
There are many turnings -
Which am I to follow? ...
I will mount a long wind some day and break the heavy waves
And set my cloudy sail straight and bridge the deep, deep sea.
Original Poem:
「行路难 · 其一」
李白
金樽清酒斗十千，玉盘珍羞值万钱。
停杯投箸不能食，拔剑四顾心茫然。
欲渡黄河冰塞川，将登太行雪满山。
闲来垂钓碧溪上，忽复乘舟梦日边。
行路难，行路难！多歧路，今安在？
长风破浪会有时，直挂云帆济沧海。
Interpretation:
This poem was written by Li Bai when he left Chang’an in 744 AD. The poem follows the old title of Han Lefu, with disappointment and hope coexisting, expressing the poet’s depression and indignation at the darkness of the court and the difficulty of his career, reflecting the bitterness of adversity and the indomitable spirit of pursuing and exploring, and standing in the poem is the image of the poet with great ambitions but an unlucky fate.
The first part of the poem describes how the author, facing a golden bottle full of fine wine and a jade plate full of precious delicacies, puts down his cup, stops his chopsticks and cannot swallow, pulls out his sword, raises his eyes and looks around, and is at a loss in his mind. Then, the poet shows his inner pain: he wants to cross the Yellow River, but he is blocked by the ice; he wants to climb the Taihang River, but he is blocked by the snow on the mountains. However, the poet is not willing to be depressed, and he gets inspiration from the legend of Lü Shang fishing and Yi Yin dreaming of the sun.
The poet cites the stories of Lu Shang and Yi Yin to show that he is still hopeful about his future, and that he still has illusions about the imperial court and has not completely lost his faith. However, his past experiences and the situation in front of him have put him in a dilemma, and he has to sigh again and again that the road is difficult, and there are so many diversions, and he doesn’t know where he will be in the future. After all, Li Bai was a bold and free-spirited person, so at the end of the poem, he once again broke free from his mental restraints and rallied himself from his bitterness and uncertainty. He borrowed the words of Zongcourt of the Southern Dynasty to describe himself as ambitious and full of confidence in the future, believing that there will be a day when he will be able to fulfil his ambitions and break through the waves, and that he will then set sail across the vast ocean – to do something sensational. This poem uses the technique of simile to describe the ups and downs of the world, with great ups and downs in emotion, but the tone is bold and optimistic.
Poem translator:
Kiang Kanghu
About the poet:
Li Bai (李白), 701 ~ 762 A.D., whose ancestral home was in Gansu, was preceded by Li Guang, a general of the Han Dynasty. Tang poetry is one of the brightest constellations in the history of Chinese literature, and one of the brightest stars is Li Bai.
