This night to the west of the river-brim
There is not one cloud in the whole blue sky,
As I watch from my deck the autumn moon,
Vainly remembering old General Hsieh.
I have poems; I can read;
He heard others, but not mine .
...Tomorrow I shall hoist my sail,
With fallen maple-leaves behind me.
Original Poem:
「夜泊牛渚怀古」
李白
牛渚西江夜，青天无片云。
登舟望秋月，空忆谢将军。
余亦能高咏，斯人不可闻。
明朝挂帆去，枫叶落纷纷。
Interpretation:
This is a poem of Li Bai’s feelings for the historical story of Xie Shang and Yuan Hong, his own unrecognised talent, a poem of sorrow and indignation that expresses the sadness of not meeting his soulmate.
The poem writes a fresh and timeless scene without embellishment, that is, the scene, the scene in the emotion, the river maple leaves have fallen the melancholy picture, into the poet how much bitterness and emotion. The whole poem is bold and open-minded without coyness, from the natural outflow of the chest, smooth, wonderful sentence heavenly. Although this poem is a pentameter, it does not pay attention to the couplet of the poem. Some people think that Li Bai is highly talented, free and unrestrained, and when he feels like it, he recites it casually without regard to the couplets.
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.
