This poem tells the story of meeting a drifting traveler who doesn’t know where he is going and will never return.
Translation
By Wang Wei (701-761 AD) | 王維 |
Farewell | 送別 |
Dismount the horse and have some wine— | 下馬 飲君酒 |
I ask— to where are you going? | 問君 何所之 |
You say you cannot guess | 君言 不得意 |
And will rest at the foot of the Southern Mountain | 歸臥 南山陲 |
You merely depart and will not return— is what I hear: | 但去 莫復 聞 |
A white cloud drifts without end | 白雲 無盡時 |
Original Chinese
Traditional | Simplified | Pronunciation |
王維 | 王维 | Wáng Wéi |
送別 | 送别 | Sòng Bié |
下馬飲君酒， | 下马饮君酒， | Xià mǎ // yǐn jūn jiǔ, |
問君何所之？ | 问君何所之？ | Wèn jūn // hé suǒ zhī? |
君言不得意， | 君言不得意， | Jūn yán // bù dé yì, |
歸臥南山陲。 | 归卧南山陲。 | Guī wò // nán shān chuí. |
但去莫復聞， | 但去莫复闻， | Dàn qù // mò fù wén, |
白雲無盡時。 | 白云无尽时。 | Bái yún // wú jìn shí. |
Literal Translation
王維 | King Preserve [Wang Wei (701-761 AD)] |
送別 | See-off Part [Farewell] |
下馬飲君酒， | Down horse drink you wine [down horse = dismount] |
問君何所之？ | Ask you what place to? |
君言不得意， | You say/words no obtain think/wish/anticipate [no obtain = cannot/must not/may not] |
歸臥南山陲。 | Return/taken-care lie-down south mountain border [south mountain = Nanshan] |
但去莫復聞， | Only/merely depart do-not/there-is-none go-and-return hear/make-known/ask |
白雲無盡時。 | White clouds not exhaust/finish time |
Year:
2011
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