A Farewell Poem for Wang Wei
In loneliness, what am I waiting for?
Day after day I return with nothing gained.
I would go in search of fragrant grass,
Yet regret parting from an old friend.
Who in power will offer support?
A true understanding friend is rare in the world.
Perhaps I should keep to solitude
And close the gate of my old home again.
Notes
A farewell poem is left before departure. Wang Wei was the friend addressed. Fragrant grass can evoke retreat; those on the road of power are people holding office. A knowing listener is someone who understands the speaker.
Meaning
The speaker feels his waiting has come to nothing, wishes to leave but regrets parting from Wang Wei, and imagines returning to solitude.
Appreciation
The opening question and repeated empty returns convey disappointment.
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The wish to leave coexists with regret at parting from a friend.
Lack of support and rare understanding explain the emotional turn toward home.
The closing expresses a decision or expectation, not proof of every later event.
About the poet
Meng Haoran (689–740) was a Tang poet from the area of present-day Xiangyang, Hubei.
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He traveled widely and wrote about landscapes, rural life and journeys.
He is often associated with Wang Wei; his surviving works include Spring Morning, Passing an Old Friend’s Farm, and Mooring on the Jiande River.