Li Bai: Seeing a Friend Off (From Chinese)

Li Bai wrote this poem in 754 while saying goodbye to a good friend in Xuanzheng. The Shuiyang River still encircles what remains of the city's east wall.

Seeing a Friend Off
By Li Bai
Translated by A.Z. Foreman

Beyond the north wall dark green mountains stretch
Round the east city the clear white river flows¹
Once we two have parted in this place
Lone tumbleweed has thousands of miles to blow
A drifting cloud: the mind of a traveler
Sinking sun: the mood of old friends going
We wave our hands taking leave from here
Our hesitant horses in parting neigh and moan

Notes:
¹- Chinese cities were usually protected by two sets of walls: an inner one, made of stone, and an outer rampart made of rammed earth. Kept between these two was enough farmland to keep the town supplied with food in the event of a siege. It was customary for friends to say their goodbyes at the outer rampart.

The Original:

Han Characters

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Medieval Chinese

s�ng_1b gh�u_3b nyen_3b
l�_3d beik_2a

tsheing₄ sran_2b ghweing_2a pek₁ kwak₁
beik_2a syw�_3c ny�u₃ tung_1b dzyeing_3b
tsh�_3b dr�_3c et_3by ghwi_3bx bat_3bx
kuo₁ bung_1b m�n_3a l�_3d tsyeing_3b
bou_3b ghwen_3a you_3b ts�_3d �_3d
lak₁ nyet_3b k�o₁ nyen_3b dzeing_3b
hwi_3a sy�u_3b dz�_3c tsi_3d kh�o_3b
sau₄ sau₄ pan_2a m�₂ meing_3a

Modern Chinese

S�ng your�n
Lib�i.

Qingshan h�ng bei guo,
B�ishui r�o dongch�ng,
Cid� yi w�i bi�,
Gu p�ng w�n li zheng;
F�y�n y�uzi y�,
Lu�r� g�r�n q�ng,
Huishou z� zi q�,
Xiaoxiao ban mam�ng.

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