Meeting a Messenger Bound for the Capital
Looking east toward home, the road stretches far;
Both sleeves are soaked, and my tears have not dried.
We meet on horseback, with neither paper nor brush;
Please carry word to my family that I am safe.
Notes
The messenger is travelling to the capital. “Longzhong” here describes sleeves wet with tears. With no writing materials, the traveller asks for a spoken message to assure his family of his safety.
Meaning
On a journey away from home, the poet meets a messenger and asks him to carry news of his safety to his family.
Appreciation
The long road east and tear-soaked sleeves make distance and longing tangible.
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The encounter on horseback is brief, with no paper or brush at hand.
A spoken message replaces a letter, concentrating the emotion in a simple request.
The poem connects the traveller’s homesickness with reassurance for the family at home.
About the poet
Cen Shen (c. 715–770) was a Tang poet whose family came from Nanyang and later lived in Jiangling.
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Cen Shen served twice in the northwestern frontier regions and wrote many frontier poems, including Song of White Snow and Meeting a Messenger Bound for the Capital. His birth year is uncertain.