Year
Translation
Wei Yinwu (737-792) | 韋應物 |
Above the River Huai: A Happy Gathering With an Old Friend in Liang Chuan | 淮上喜會 梁川故人 |
Travelers by the Han River | 江漢 曾為客 |
Coming across one another, each of us drunk, | 相逢 每醉還 |
Drifting clouds, having parted alone, | 浮雲 一別後 |
Like water flowing over ten years’ time. | 流水 十年間 |
Joyous laughter, feelings of the former days: | 歡笑 情如舊 |
Our mugwort hair is thin and temples gray. | 蕭疏 鬢已斑 |
What if we go north to return | 何因 北歸去 |
Above the Huai River and see the autumn mountains? | 淮上 對秋山 |
Commentary
In 783AD, Wei Yingwu was appointed as the prefectural governor of Chuzhou city and he wrote this poem during his term. He had a reunion with an old friend which was delightful. However, they both had gray hair after 10 years separation, which brought sentimentality to this reunion too. They both consider themselves travelers, being away from their native land, which is near the Huai River, far from their current location near the Han River.
Original Chinese
Traditional | Simplified | Pronunciation |
韋應物 | 韦应物 | Wéi Yìngwù |
淮上喜會 梁川故人 | 淮上喜会 梁川故人 | Huái shàng xǐ huì liáng chuān gù rén |
江漢曾為客， | 江汉曾为客， | Jiāng hàn zēng wéi kè， |
相逢每醉還。 | 相逢每醉还。 | Xiāng féng měi zuì huán。 |
浮雲一別後， | 浮云一别后， | Fú yún yī bié hòu， |
流水十年間。 | 流水十年间。 | Liú shuǐ shí nián jiān。 |
歡笑情如舊， | 欢笑情如旧， | Huān xiào qíng rú jiù， |
蕭疏鬢已斑。 | 萧疏鬓已斑。 | Xiāo shū bìn yǐ bān。 |
何因北歸去， | 何因北归去， | Hé yīn běi guī qù， |
淮上對秋山。 | 淮上对秋山。 | Huái shàng duì qiū shān。 |
Literal Notes
韋應物 | Tanned-leather Must Thing [=Wei Yinwu (737-792)] |
淮上喜會 梁川故人 | Huai-River Above Like/enjoy Assemble/meet-together Liang/bridge Chuan/stream old people/friends [The Huai River is a major river in China. It originates in Tongbai Mountain in Henan province, and enters the Yangtze River in Jiangsu province.], [Liang Chuan = an unknown place name. In prevailing editions it is recorded as “梁州” (Liang Zhou), which is now located in Hanzhong city, Shanxi province. ] |
江漢曾為客， | River Han/Chinese-people already have-been travelers [River Han = Han River], [Travelers: Chinese people are attached to their hometown. If some people travel or stay in other places, they will call themselves visitors/guests. So here it means Wei Yingwu and his friend had stayed near the Han River (which was not their hometown).] |
相逢每醉還。 | Mutual/each-other come-upon/happen-to-meet each/every drunk/intoxicated still/also/besides |
浮雲一別後， | Floating/drifting clouds one separate after [Floating clouds = their lives are just like the floating clouds, drifting about and never knowing when they will reunite again. Chinese poets like to use the “floating clouds” to describe the vagrancy of life. For example, Li Bai wrote, “Drifting as the clouds... / a wandering child, I feel / The sun is setting / and I think of my old friend” (poem #102) |
流水十年間。 | Flowing/drifting water ten years time/interval [流水(literally flowing water)=means time slides away like the rushing water. Confucius has a famous metaphor: “time slides away like the rushing water, no matter if it is night or day.” |
歡笑情如舊， | Happy/glad/joyous smile/laughter feeling/sentiment/emotion as-if old/former/past |
蕭疏鬢已斑。 | Mugwort thin/scanty hair-on-temples already mottled/freckled [Mugworth thin = little hair, due to aging.], [hair-on-temples already moddled = gray hair on the temples] |
何因北歸去， | Why/what cause/reason north return go-away/depart [Note: In some editions it is recorded as “何因不歸去” = “Why/what cause/reason not return go-away/depart”] |
淮上對秋山。 | Huai-River above/top facing autumn mountain/hill [Note: In some editions it is recorded as “淮上有秋山” = “Huai-River above/top has/is autumn mountain/hill] [Note: there can be different interpretations of the last two lines due to ambiguity. One can be: “how about we go north and watch the autumn mountain on Huai River?” If we choose the other editions, an interpretation can be: “why not lead a recluse life in the autumn mountain near Huai River?” (here, “return go-away/depart” can be interpreted as leading a recluse life.] |