Home › Poems › Farewell to Meng Haoran at Yellow Crane Tower
Huáng Hè Lóu Sòng Mèng Hàorán zhī GuǎnglíngFarewell to Meng Haoran at Yellow Crane Tower 黄鹤楼送孟浩然之广陵
Li Bai watches his friend's sail disappear down the Yangtze.
Original Chinese text with pinyin
故人西辞黄鹤楼
gù rén xī cí huáng hè lóu
烟花三月下扬州
yān huā sān yuè xià yáng zhōu
孤帆远影碧空尽
gū fān yuǎn yǐng bì kōng jìn
唯见长江天际流
wéi jiàn cháng jiāng tiān jì liú
Simplified characters; traditional title: 黃鶴樓送孟浩然之廣陵.
English translation
My friend has left the west where towers Yellow Crane
For River Town when willow-down and flowers reign.
His lessening sail is lost in the boundless blue sky,
Where I see but the endless River rolling by.
Original translation by Poetune — literal but poetic, written for this site.
Line by line
Meaning and imagery
The first half sets the scene in bright spring color; the second half is pure watching. The sail shrinks to a "far shadow," then disappears, and Li Bai keeps looking at the empty river. He never says he is sad — the length of his gaze says it for him. The endless Yangtze becomes a measure of both the distance between the friends and the depth of the friendship.
Background
Written around 730 at Yellow Crane Tower in Wuchang (today's Wuhan) as Li Bai saw off the older poet Meng Haoran, whom he admired, on his journey to Guangling (Yangzhou).
Key words
- 故人 gù rén
- old friend
- 烟花 yān huā
- spring haze and blossoms (not "fireworks")
- 广陵 Guǎnglíng
- old name for Yangzhou
- 天际 tiān jì
- the horizon, edge of the sky
About the poet: Li Bai
Li Bai (also romanized Li Po; courtesy name Taibai) is celebrated as the "Immortal of Poetry." Raised in Sichuan, he spent much of his life wandering, briefly served at the court of Emperor Xuanzong in Chang'an, and is remembered for his love of wine, the moon and untamed nature. He and Du Fu are regarded as the two greatest poets of the Tang dynasty.
Lifetime: 701–762. Other famous works: Farewell to a Friend (送友人); Song of Qiupu (White Hair) (秋浦歌); Midnight Song of Wu (Autumn) (子夜吴歌); Question and Answer in the Mountains (山中问答); For Wang Lun (赠汪伦); The Road Is Hard (行路难); Sitting Alone Facing Jingting Mountain (独坐敬亭山); Written as a Traveler (客中作); Song of the Moon over Mount Emei (峨眉山月歌); Resentment (怨情); Farewell to Meng Haoran at Yellow Crane Tower (黄鹤楼送孟浩然之广陵); Quiet Night Thoughts (静夜思); Bring In the Wine (将进酒); Drinking Alone Under the Moon (月下独酌); Viewing the Waterfall at Mount Lu (望庐山瀑布); Leaving Baidi City at Dawn (早发白帝城); The Hard Road to Shu (蜀道难); Gazing at Tianmen Mountain (望天门山); Song of Changgan (长干行); Boating on Dongting Lake (陪族叔刑部侍郞晔及中书贾舎人至游洞庭); Song of the Yue Girl (越女词); Visiting a Taoist on Mount Daitian (访戴天山道士不遇); Easing My Heart (自遣); A Summer Day in the Mountains (夏日山中); Farewell at a Jinling Tavern (金陵酒肆留别); Song of the Bright Moon (古朗月行); Drinking on Dragon Mountain on the Ninth (九日龙山饮); Drinking with a Hermit in the Mountains (山中与幽人对酌); Song of Pure Peace (清平调 其一); Song of Pure Peace III (清平调 其三); Song of Youth (少年行); Down Through Jingmen in Autumn (秋下荆门); Crossing Jingmen (渡荆门送别); Staying the Night at a Mountain Temple (夜宿山寺); For Meng Haoran (赠孟浩然).
Names from this poem
More by Li Bai
- Quiet Night Thoughts静夜思
- Leaving Baidi City at Dawn早发白帝城
- Viewing the Waterfall at Mount Lu望庐山瀑布
- Drinking Alone Under the Moon月下独酌
- Midnight Song of Wu (Autumn)子夜吴歌
- Song of the Moon over Mount Emei峨眉山月歌
- Song of Qiupu (White Hair)秋浦歌
- Farewell to a Friend送友人