Farewell to Cui

229. Farewell to Cui

Pei Di

Traversing mountains thin and deep
And on through hills and dales revered;
For just a day you’ll be a man
Of Eden, land of love and cheer.

Chinese	Pronunciation

送崔九	Sòng cuī jiǔ

歸山深淺去，	Guī shān shēn qiǎn qù，
須盡丘壑笑。	Xū jìn qiū hè xiào。
莫學武陵人，	Mò xué wǔ líng rén，
暫遊桃源裏。	Zàn yóu táo yuán lǐ 。

Literal Character Translation

Send-Off Cui Nine

Return mountain deep shallow leave,
Must to-the-limit hill valleys smile.
None-who learn martial hill man,
Temporary wander peach spring within.

1.       “Deep shallow” means “deep or shallow”
2.       “Martial hill” is the literal meaning of Wuling, an area in Hunan.
3.       “Peach spring” is the Garden of the Peaches of Immortality in Shangri-La, an imaginary land of joy and plenty.

Makes an analogy of Cui’s journey through the mountains to the story of a fisherman from Wuling who spent a day in paradise.