Yellow Crane Tower
English translation and interpretation are being reviewed.
此地空余黄鹤楼。
黄鹤一去不复返，
白云千载空悠悠。
晴川历历汉阳树，
芳草萋萋鹦鹉洲。
日暮乡关何处是？
烟波江上使人愁。
English translation
The man of old has ridden the yellow crane away, here remains only the empty Yellow Crane Tower.
The yellow crane, once gone, returns no more, the white clouds for a thousand years drift idly on.
Clear and distinct, the trees of Hanyang by the bright river, lush and thick, the sweet grasses of Parrot Isle.
At sunset, where is my native land? Mist and waves upon the river make a man sorrowful.
Meaning
The immortal of old had already ridden the yellow crane away, leaving only the empty Yellow Crane Tower.
The yellow crane has gone and will never come again; these thousand years men have seen only white clouds drifting across the sky.
The trees of Hanyang stand distinct in the sunlight, and the lush grasses of Parrot Isle are plainly to be seen.
As the dusk gathers, where is my homeland? The misty waters upon the river only deepen my vexation.
Background
Read the background
The exact date of this poem cannot be ascertained. The Yellow Crane Tower takes its name from Yellow Crane Hill in Wuchang, where it stands; legend has it that Fei Yi ascended to immortality and rode off on a crane at this spot, and this poem sets out from the origin of the tower's name. Climbing the Yellow Crane Tower, the poet was moved by the scene before him and composed this poem.