Jinling is the old name for Nanjing and was a part of the Wu Kingdom at one point. Feelings are invisible and friendship is abstract. Chinese poetry tries to translate abstract ideas into concrete items as much as possible. Thus, Li uses a metaphor here to compare the deep and longlasting friendship to the long running river.
Translation
By Li Bai (701-762) | 李白 |
Jinling Pub: A Poem on Parting | 金陵酒肆留別 |
Wind is blowing the willows and flowers, sweetly scenting the pub | 風吹 柳花 滿店香 |
A beauty from Wu she pours the wine inviting the travelers to try | 吳姬 壓酒 喚客嘗 |
Jinling sons—my friends we come to see each other off | 金陵 子弟 來相送 |
Those traveling and not traveling— each exhaust the feast | 欲行 不行 各盡觴 |
I ask my friends inquiring of the river flowing east: | 請君 試問 東流水 |
This parting feeling, this river too— will it be a short or long one? | 別意 與之 誰短長 |
Original Chinese
Traditional | Simplified | Pronunciation |
李白 | 李白 | Li bái |
金陵酒肆留別 | 金陵酒肆留别 | Jīn líng jiǔ sì liú bié |
風吹柳花滿店香， | 风吹柳花满店香， | Fēng chuī liǔ huā mǎn diàn xiāng, |
吳姬壓酒喚客嘗； | 吴姬压酒唤客尝; | Wú jī yā jiǔ huàn kè cháng; |
金陵子弟來相送， | 金陵子弟来相送， | Jīn líng zǐ dì lái xiāng sòng, |
欲行不行各盡觴。 | 欲行不行各尽觞。 | Yù xíng bù háng gè jìn shāng. |
請君試問東流水， | 请君试问东流水， | Qǐng jūn shì wèn dōng liú shuǐ, |
別意與之誰短長？ | 别意与之谁短长？ | Bié yì yǔ zhī shuí duǎn cháng? |
Literal Translation
李白 | Plum White= Li Bai(701-762) |
金陵酒肆留別 | Gold Hill wine inn/indulge stay farewell [Gold Hill= Jinling, Nanjing’s ancient name], [wine inn = pub, bar], [stay farewell= on parting, a parting gift/poem] |
風吹柳花滿店香， | Wind breeze/blows willow flower full/fill/satisfied inn fragrant/sweet-smelling/aromatic |
吳姬壓酒喚客嘗； | Wu woman/beauty press/compress wine call/invite guest/traveler taste/try [press/compress wine=press to extract the liquid] [Wu woman= Wu’s waitress, Jinling once belonged to Wu Kindom.] |
金陵子弟來相送， | Jin Ling son/child brother come to/each-other farewell/see-off/send-off [son brother= here refers to Li’s friends, child, generation] |
欲行不行各盡觴。 | Intend/want/desire travel/go/move not travel/go/move respectively/each finish wine-in-the-cup/feast [Intend/want travel not travel= people who’re leaving for the trip, and peole who aren’t leaving(Jinling friends)] |
請君試問東流水， | Please/ask/request gentleman try asking-about/inquire-after east flowing/drifting water |
別意與之誰短長？ | Depart/separate feeling/thought/anticipation and/give/together-with it/’s which/who/also short long [it= east flowing water, in the earlier verse] |
The notes, character table, and literal translation were prepared with the assistance of Liane Rui of Shanghai, China.
Year:
2012
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