Translation
Liu Changqin (709-785) | 劉長卿 |
Seeing Off Imperial Minister Li On His Return to His Hanyang Villa | 送李中丞 歸漢陽別業 |
Fallen, drifting, you will journey south | 流落 征南將 |
Having once commanded a hundred thousand troops. | 曾驅 十萬師 |
Dismissed, unable to return to your old profession, | 罷歸 無舊業 |
Aged, disposed of, yearning for the glory days. | 老去 戀明時 |
Alone, you brought peace to the three borders, | 獨立 三邊靜 |
Taking your life lightly and knowing the sword. | 輕生 一劍知 |
Vast, boundless, you enter the Han River; | 茫茫 江漢上 |
Day becomes night and you want to know why. | 日暮 欲何之 |
Commentary
This is a farewell poem presented to an old general. We do not know much about him except what is in the poem. It showed that he contributed greatly to his country, bringing peace to the borders with his military campaigns and showing a bravery in risking his life, only to be dismissed because of his age. In the end, he enters the Han River at sunset to return to his home in the south, the sunset symbolic of his retirement and age.
Original Chinese
Traditional | Simplified | Pronunciation |
劉長卿 | 刘长卿 | Liú cháng qīng |
送李中丞 歸漢陽別業 | 送李中丞 归汉阳别业 | Sòng lǐ zhōng chéng guī hàn yáng bié yè |
流落征南將， | 流落征南将， | Liú luò zhēng nán jiāng， |
曾驅十萬師。 | 曾驱十万师。 | Zēng qū shí wàn shī。 |
罷歸無舊業， | 罢归无旧业， | Bà guī wú jiù yè， |
老去戀明時。 | 老去恋明时。 | Lǎo qù liàn míng shí。 |
獨立三邊靜， | 独立三边静， | Dú lì sān biān jìng， |
輕生一劍知。 | 轻生一剑知。 | Qīng shēng yī jiàn zhī。 |
茫茫江漢上， | 茫茫江汉上， | Máng máng jiāng hàn shàng， |
日暮欲何之。 | 日暮欲何之。 | Rì mù yù hé zhī。 |
Literal Notes
劉長卿 | Kill Forever High-person [= Liu Changqin (709-785)] |
送李中丞 歸漢陽別業 | See-off Li/plum Central Aid return-to Han/Chinese-people/Chinese-language Yang/light/sun separate property |
流落征南將， | Drift fall journey south will [Drift fall = lead a wandering life in poverty] |
曾驅十萬師。 | Once commanded ten ten-thousand troops |
罷歸無舊業， | Dismissed return-to not-have old/former profession |
老去戀明時。 | Aged gotten-rid-of yearn-for/feel-attached-to bright age/time [Bright age = “old glory times” or “peaceful times”] |
Alone established three borders quiet/peace [Alone establish = stand alone], [three borders = according to the Book of the Later Han， “three borders” refers to the State of You, the State of Bing, and the State of Liang, for they were all states on the border of the Han Dynasty. Later，“three borders” could be interpreted as “borders” also.] | |
輕生一劍知。 | Light life one sword knew [Light life = here means willing to sacrifice his life for his country; in other contexts, it means “suicide.”] |
Vast boundless river Han/Chinese-people get-onto [Vast boundless = boundless and indistinct], [river Han = Yangtze River and Han River] | |
日暮欲何之。 | Day ending desire why/how go/him [Day ending = sunset, dusk, evening. Some annotators hold the view that “day ending” is a metaphor for the general’s age. For example, Yu Xin (513-581 AD) wrote a famous rhymed essay, “Lament for the South.” In the preface of the essay, it has the verse “by nightfall (here it means old), there is still a long way: what kind of world are we living in? |
Year:
2012
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