Seeing Xin Jian Off at Hibiscus Tower
Cold rain joins the river through the night in Wu;
At dawn I see my guest off beneath solitary Chu mountains.
If friends and family in Luoyang ask about me,
Tell them my heart is clear as ice in a jade vessel.
Notes
Hibiscus Tower was in the area of present-day Zhenjiang. Xin Jian was the poet’s friend. Wu and Chu are historical regional names. Píngmíng means dawn. Ice in a jade vessel forms an image of a clear, steadfast heart.
Meaning
A rainy night gives way to a farewell at dawn. The speaker asks a friend to tell people in Luoyang that his heart remains clear and steadfast.
Appreciation
The poem moves from a rainy night to a farewell at dawn, then entrusts a message to a friend.
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River rain, darkness, morning and a solitary mountain give the scene its quiet atmosphere.
The final image of ice in a jade vessel conveys the speaker’s character without a long explanation.
Find the change in time, then imagine a message a friend might carry to someone far away.
About the poet
Wang Changling, courtesy name Shaobo, was a Tang poet known for seven-character quatrains. Sources differ on his exact birth and death years.
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Life: Wang held official posts and also spent time away from the capital; sources differ on his precise dates.
Works: His poems include Beyond the Frontier.
Sources
Poem and reading reference: Shicile · Poet biography reference · poems-db
Translation and explanations by Poetry Buds; review ongoing.