An Occasional Poem Sent to Langzhi
Thinking back over my days in office,
None compared with the time as prefect.
I welcomed guests in pleasure,
And could provide warmth and food for my wife and children.
Since coming to the eastern capital,
A quieter life has suited me better still.
Serving in the secondary capital was better than being prefect;
Retirement was better than that service.
And better still, beneath the garden trees,
I was happy to find you, Langzhi.
Admiring your name, I felt we were old acquaintances;
Sharing pleasures, we became new friends.
When snow fell, we visited each other first;
Whenever flowers appeared, we made a date.
We competed in the richness of home-brewed wine,
And praised fine verses as we recited them carefully.
Through lanes we went back and forth countless times;
At the capital gate we parted five times.
At the fork in the road we turned to look back;
When a letter arrived, my brows relaxed.
Leaves fall in the courtyard of Huai Pavilion;
Ice forms on the pool by the Bamboo Pavilion.
With my gate quiet, who will bring news?
Wrapped in a feather cloak, I no longer follow you.
Body and heart are both unwell;
Appearance and strength decline together.
Old age brings much forgetfulness,
But never forgetfulness of longing for you.
Notes
Langzhi is the friend addressed by the poem. A prefect was a regional official; the eastern capital refers to Luoyang. Fēnsī is service in a secondary capital, and zhìshì is retirement from office. Nóng is rich wine. A quiet gate evokes the image of a sparrow net; hèchǎng is a feathered cloak. The final line remembers a friend despite old-age forgetfulness.
Meaning
The speaker recalls official posts, growing leisure and the friendship of Langzhi. Visits in snow, meetings among flowers, wine, poetry and repeated departures lead to a quieter present of illness and age. Though forgetful, the speaker cannot forget the friend.
Appreciation
The poem addresses Langzhi, moving from official life and retirement to friendship, separation and the speaker’s later years.
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Its opening compares different stages of service before the speaker’s attention turns to a friendship found in leisure.
Snow visits, flower appointments, wine and poetry give the friendship concrete details; repeated visits and departures reveal its duration.
Fallen leaves and ice bring the poem back to a quieter present. The closing contrast between forgetfulness and remembered affection is direct and personal.
Find the shared memories in sequence and consider how you might remember a friend far away.
About the poet
Bai Juyi (772–846), courtesy name Letian, was a Tang poet and official born near present-day Xinzheng, Henan.
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His works include Song of the Pipa Player, Song of Everlasting Sorrow and many poems about daily life.