To Wang Lun by Li Bai

I, Li Bai, sit in a boat about to go,
When suddenly on shore your farewell songs overflow.
However deep the Lake of Peach Blossoms may be,
It's not so deep, O Wang Lun, as your love for me.

Original Poem

「赠汪伦」
李白乘舟将欲行，忽闻岸上踏歌声。
桃花潭水深千尺，不及汪伦送我情！

李白

Interpretation

This poem was composed by Tang dynasty poet Li Bai upon parting with Wang Lun at Peach Blossom Pool. During his travels, Li Bai received Wang Lun's generous hospitality, and at their farewell, Wang Lun came specially to see him off. Through this poem, the poet expresses his gratitude to Wang Lun while conveying profound sentiments of reluctant parting.

First Couplet: "李白乘舟将欲行，忽闻岸上踏歌声。"
Lǐ Bái chéng zhōu jiāng yù xíng, hū wén àn shàng tà gē shēng.
Li Bai aboard his boat prepared to go, When suddenly from shore came songs' rhythmic flow.

The poet captures this unexpected moment before departure. The farewell songs, accompanied by rhythmic stomping, create a scene both lively and touching, revealing the poet's surprise and emotion at such genuine friendship.

Second Couplet: "桃花潭水深千尺，不及汪伦送我情！"
táo huā tán shuǐ shēn qiān chǐ, bù jí Wāng Lún sòng wǒ qíng!
Peach Blossom Pool's a thousand feet deep, Yet can't compare to Wang Lun's farewell so steep!

Through hyperbolic comparison, the poet contrasts the pool's depth with friendship's profundity, powerfully emphasizing the sincerity of Wang Lun's sentiment. This contrast makes the verse profoundly moving, allowing readers to deeply appreciate the genuine affection between friends.

Comprehensive Analysis

With concise yet vivid strokes, this poem depicts a deeply moving farewell scene. The first two lines present the sudden warmth of the send-off from Li Bai's perspective, while the latter two employ exaggerated metaphor to materialize Wang Lun's profound friendship, building emotional intensity to its climax. Compact yet potent, sincere in emotion and melodious in rhythm, the poem achieves remarkable resonance. By capturing this fleeting moment, the poet successfully crystallizes profound friendship into enduring words, creating a masterpiece celebrated through the ages.

Artistic Innovations

1. Economical language, profound conception: Though only four lines, the poem progresses layer upon layer with rich emotional depth.
2. Comparative technique intensifies emotion: Using "thousand-foot pool" to metaphorize friendship's depth makes abstract feelings tangible, enhancing poetic expressiveness.
3. Vivid scenecraft with strong imagery: The depiction of rhythmic farewell songs creates dynamic beauty, transporting readers into the scene.

Insights

This poem demonstrates authentic friendship, reminding us to cherish true bonds and treat friends with sincerity. Simultaneously, it shows that expressing emotion requires no ornate rhetoric—often the simplest, most potent language speaks straight to the heart. In just four concise lines, Li Bai concentrated profound farewell sentiments, creating an eternal masterpiece through utter simplicity.

Poem translator

Xu Yuan-chong(许渊冲)

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.