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Translation
Bai Juyi (772-846) | 白居易 |
Assigned Title: “Farewell on the Ancient Grassy Plains” | 賦得古原草送別 |
Throughout, the meadow is covered in grass; | 離離原上草 |
Each year it withers and each year it thrives. | 一歲一枯榮 |
Fire burns the field, but not in full; | 野火燒不盡 |
Spring winds blow it back to life again. | 春風吹又生 |
Invading far along the ancient paths, | 遠芳侵古道 |
The jeweled green extends through ruined towns. | 晴翠接荒城 |
Now I send you off to go away... | 又送王孫去 |
Laden with flowing grass and parting thoughts. | 萋萋滿別情 |
Commentary
It is said that Bai Juyi was only sixteen when he wrote this poem and wrote this poem based on an assigned title. The imagery is full of a field with overflowing grass, that stretches through the distances, emphasizing the distance of his parting friend. The images of ruined cities and wildfires also illustrate this feeling.
Another characteristic of the poem is the contrast between two opposing ideas: “withers ... thrives,” “fire burns ... back to life,” and “jeweled green ... ruined towns.” This is also reflective of a recurring theme in Chinese philosophy, reinforced by their long history, that the world follows a pattern of cycles, of rise and fall, of growth and destruction, of great empires and ruined cities.
Despite the vivid images, this is ultimately a poem of hope and resiliance: though every year brings destruction, every year brings new life as well. In this situation, distance may be hard on their friendship but cannot destroy it. Likewise, the third and fourth lines have become a popular idiom in China to emphasize the resiliance of things.
Original Chinese
Traditional | Simplified | Pronunciation |
白居易 | 白居易 | Bái Jū Yì |
賦得古原草送別 | 赋得古原草送别 | Fù dé gǔ yuán cǎo sòng bié |
離離原上草， | 离离原上草， | Lí lí yuán shàng cǎo， |
一歲一枯榮。 | 一岁一枯荣。 | Yī suì yī kū róng。 |
野火燒不盡， | 野火烧不尽， | Yě huǒ shāo bù jìn， |
春風吹又生 | 春风吹又生。 | Chūn fēng chuī yòu shēng。 |
遠芳侵古道， | 远芳侵古道， | Yuǎn fāng qīn gǔ dào， |
晴翠接荒城。 | 晴翠接荒城。 | Qíng cuì jiē huāng chéng。 |
又送王孫去， | 又送王孙去， | Yòu sòng wáng sūn qù， |
萋萋滿別情。 | 萋萋满别情。 | Qī qī mǎn bié qíng。 |
Translation Notes
白居易 | White Live Easy [=Bai Juyi (772-846)] |
賦得古原草送別 | Poetic-Essay Obtain old plains/origin grass send-off separate [“Poetic-Essay Obtain” means “Assigned Title:”] [“Send-off separate” means to see somebody off] |
離離原上草， | Leave leave plains over grass [“Leave leave” means “luxuriant” or “exuberant”] |
一歲一枯榮。 | One year one wither flourish/thrive [i.e., grass withers and thrives, year after year] |
野火燒不盡， | Field/plain fire burns not depleted [“Fire burns” means to burn down] [“Not depleted” means “endlessly” or “not completely.”] |
春風吹又生 | Spring wind blows again life |
遠芳侵古道， | Distant/far fragrance invades/encroach/infringe ancient path [“Fragrance” refers to the grass] [“Invades” can be interpreting as “covering”] |
晴翠接荒城。 | Clear-weather emerald-green/green-jade joins wilderness city [“Emerald green” refers to the grass] |
又送王孫去， | Also sees-off king grandson departing [“King grandson” actually means a man who is traveling or residing in a place far away from home. It is an allusion to the work Beckoning Hermit (招隐士), which had verses such as “the man wanders off and will not return, the spring grass grow luxuriantly.” Afterwards, “king grandson” refers to the man who is travelling or residing in a place far away from home.] |
萋萋滿別情。 | Luxuriant-foliage luxuriant-foliage fills separate feeling |
Year:
2012
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