Sending off My Friend Who Is returning to the East
Wen, Ting Yun (812 A.D.-870 A.D.)
At this barren fort yellow leaves fall.
You are leaving River Guan with great joy and eagerness.
The autumn wind crosses Han-Yang Pier.
The sun rises on Ying-Men Mountain 1.
There are few people on the river.
Your lonely boat starts its long journey home.
When will we meet again
And drink wine to gladden our sad, lonely faces?
1
Poetry critic De Qian Shen praises this poem by saying that the beginning
lines are very powerful.