To Wang Lun Who Comes to Bid Me Farewell
- Poetry of Li Bai (Li Po)

《赠汪伦》

- Last updated: 2024-04-16 19:15:30

中文原文

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。

English Translation

I,Li Bai,sit aboard a ship 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.

This is the poet's most popular farewell song.

Why Chinese poems is so special?: The most distinctive features of Chinese poetry are: concision- many poems are only four lines, and few are much longer than eight; ambiguity- number, tense and parts of speech are often undetermined, creating particularly rich interpretative possibilities; and structure- most poems follow quite strict formal patterns which have beauty in themselves as well as highlighting meaningful contrasts.

How to read a Chinese poem?: Like an English poem, but more so. Everything is there for a reason, so try to find that reason. Think about all the possible connotations, and be aware of the different possibilities of number and tense. Look for contrasts: within lines, between the lines of each couplet and between successive couplets. Above all, don't worry about what the poet meant- find your meaning.

List of Chinese poets