Year
It’s a farewell poem, but Li expressed his disappointment and agony. He’s a man with talent, but not appreciated or respected by the official circle.
Xietiao, the governor, who the building is named after, was also called Little Xie because he was good at writing scenery poems, so people compared him to Xie Lingyun, an ancient poet in the Han Dynasty.
In the last verse, ancient Chinese officials have to coil the hair before putting on the official hats. By loosening the hair, Li reveals he’ll be at leisure, and won’t be restricted by the government work. A small boat is a metaphor of a secluded life as retired officials often lived in the country and went fishing.
Translation
Li Bai (701-762) | 李白 |
Farewell Dinner for Uncle Yun, Imperial Proofreader: Xietiao Tower, Xuan Province | 宣州謝朓樓 餞別校書叔雲 |
Abandoning us, he leaves... | 棄我去者 |
The sun of yesterday cannot remain | 昨日 之日 不可留 |
And this, a thing that upends my heart... | 亂我心者 |
So today the sun brings so many troubles and sorrows | 今日 之日 多煩憂 |
A lengthy autumn wind for thousands of miles takes the wild goose, my uncle | 長風 萬里 送秋雁 |
I’m able to face this drinking in the tower | 對此 可以 酣高樓 |
Penglai, his workplace, a building of literature and scholars | 蓬萊 文章 建安骨 |
This place’s governor, Little Xie he also grew out of there | 中間 小謝 又清發 |
My whole bosom desires to break loose— and bold, I feel like flying | 俱懷 逸興 壯思飛 |
Longing to rise in a sky of blue to seize the moon | 欲上 青天 覽明月 |
Drawing a blade and cutting the water— the water drifting ever more | 抽刀 斷水 水更流 |
Toasting my wine to end my worries— the worries return again to worries | 舉杯 銷愁 愁更愁 |
This time on earth— the living world lacks satisfaction | 人生 在世 不稱意 |
Tomorrow morning I shall loosen my hair and spend my time on a little boat | 明朝 散髮 弄扁舟 |
Original Chinese
Traditional | Simplified | Pronunciation |
李白 | 李白 | Li bái |
宣州謝朓樓餞別校書叔雲 | 宣州谢朓楼饯别校书叔云 | Xuān zhōu xiè tiǎo lóu jiànbié jiào shū shū yún |
棄我去者， | 弃我去者， | Qì wǒ qù zhě, |
昨日之日不可留； | 昨日之日不可留; | Zuó rì zhī rì bù kě liú; |
亂我心者， | 乱我心者， | Luàn wǒ xīn zhě, |
今日之日多煩憂。 | 今日之日多烦忧。 | Jīn rì zhī rì duō fán yōu. |
長風萬里送秋雁， | 长风万里送秋雁， | Cháng fēng wàn lǐ sòng qiū yàn, |
對此可以酣高樓。 | 对此可以酣高楼。 | Duì cǐ kě yǐ hān gāo lóu. |
蓬萊文章建安骨， | 蓬莱文章建安骨， | Péng lái wén zhāng jiàn ān gǔ, |
中間小謝又清發， | 中间小谢又清发， | Zhōng jiān xiǎo xiè yòu qīng fā, |
俱懷逸興壯思飛， | 俱怀逸兴壮思飞， | Jù huái yì xìng zhuàng sī fēi, |
欲上青天覽明月。 | 欲上青天览明月。 | Yù shàng qīng tiān lǎn míng yuè. |
抽刀斷水水更流， | 抽刀断水水更流， | Chōu dāo duàn shuǐ shuǐ gèng liú, |
舉杯銷愁愁更愁。 | 举杯销愁愁更愁。 | Jǔ bēi xiāo chóu chóu gèng chóu. |
人生在世不稱意， | 人生在世不称意， | Rén shēng zài shì bù chēng yì, |
明朝散髮弄扁舟。 | 明朝散发弄扁舟。 | Míng zhāo sàn fà nòng piān zhōu. |
Literal Translation
李白 | Plum White= Li Bai(701-762) |
宣州謝朓樓餞別校書叔雲 | Declare Province Thanks Scorch Tower farewell-dinner depart proofread books Uncle Cloud [Declare Province=Xuanzhou, now it’s Xuancheng in Anhui Province.], [Thanks Scorch Tower=Xietiao Tower, a tower build by Xietiao, who used to be the local governor there.], [proofread books= Jiaoshu, it’s an official position to proofread books in the Secretarial Department.], [Uncle Cloud= Libai’s uncle Liyun] |
棄我去者， | Abandon me/us leave/depart person/he-who |
昨日之日不可留； | Yesterday day Zhi day/sun not can/able remain/keep [Zhi= of, in reverse order compared to English], [Yesterday day Zhi day= The time of the past days] |
亂我心者， | Chaos/confusion/revolt/disorder/upheaval I/me/us heart/mind/soul he-who/that-which/person |
今日之日多煩憂。 | Now/at-current day Zhi day/sun many/much bother/troubled/feel-vexed worry/sad/grieved/melancholy/sorrow |
長風萬里送秋雁， | Long/lengthy/constant wind wan(10-thousand) miles send/see-off/send-off/carry/deliver autumn wild-goose [autumn birds= a metaphor of Liyun, the uncle] |
對此可以酣高樓。 | Face/answer/reply this/in-this-case able/can to/thereby/by-means-of/therefore intoxicated/enjoy-intoxicants high tower/building [able to = can/may/possible] |
蓬萊文章建安骨， | Peng/Raspberry Lai/goosefoot/weed articles/literature/writing composition/section Build Safe bones [Peng Lai= a holy mountain in the sea, one of the three fabled islands in the Eastern Sea where the Immortals live, a fairyland. It’s also Han Dynasty’s imperial library to store the Classics. Here refers to the Secretarial Dept. Liyun worked.], [Build Safe= Jian’an Year in Han Dynansty], [articles composition = literary works, essays, articles], [Build Safe bones= Jian’an bones, a slang, Jian’an 7 Persons refer to 7 scholars’ literature. Because its vigor of style, people call it Fenggu, which means Wind Bone. Jian’an is the name of a dynasty reigning from 196-219 AD, several hundred years before Li Bai’s time.] |
中間小謝又清發， | Middle/in-the-midst-of/attain among/space/place Little Xie also/and/both clear/pure/peaceful/just-and-honest grow/send-out/emit/develop [Middle among = between, intermediate, middle], [Little Xie= Xietiao, the governor, he’s good at writing scenery poems, so people compared him to Xie Lingyun in Han. Thus, he’s Little Xie(Younger Xie).] |
俱懷逸興壯思飛， | All/together/entirely/without-exception harbor-in-the-mind/bosom/breast/carry-in-bosom/think-of leisure/flee/escape/break-loose interest/thrive/prosper/flourish/feeling-desire-to-do-something/start/excitement grand/robust/big/large/strengthen/strong thoughts/feelings/consider fly/high |
欲上青天覽明月。 | Want-to/desire/long-for/intend/lust go-up blue/clear sky view/look-at/perceive clear/bright/brilliant moon [view clear moon= Lan is a variant here, means grab the moon.] |
抽刀斷水水更流， | Thrash/whip/draw-out/pull-out knife/blade break/sever/cut-off water/liquid water even-more/more/still-further/much-more flow/circulate/drift |
舉杯銷愁愁更愁。 | Raise/hold/lift-up wine-cup/glass melt/fuse/pass-time/finish/cancel worry/anxiety worry more/still-further/much-more worry/anxious [Raise wine-cup = to toast] |
人生在世不稱意， | People/man/mankind life/living at/in/on world/era not satisfied/call/name/say wish/desire/thought/opinion/idea [People life = life, time on earth], [at world = to be alive], [satisfied wish = satisfactory] |
明朝散髮弄扁舟。 | Tomorrow/bright/light/brilliant/clear morning loosen/scatter/disperse hair play/fiddle-with/fool-with/toy-with small boat [loosen hair = distribute, emit, issue] |
The notes, character table, and literal character-by-character translation were prepared with the assistance of Liane Rui of Shanghai, China.