Thoughts by the River in Early Cold
Leaves fall and geese cross southward;
A north wind makes the river cold.
My home lies at a bend of the Xiang River,
Far away beyond the clouds of Chu.
Homesick tears are spent in travel;
I watch a lone sail at the edge of the sky.
Lost at the crossing, I wish to ask the way;
At evening the broad water stretches on.
Notes
Xiang water refers to the Han River near Xiangyang. A lost crossing can be read as an actual difficulty or a traditional image for uncertainty. The “sea” is a broad expanse of river water; textual variants exist.
Meaning
Falling leaves and southbound geese lead a traveller to remember home, watch a distant sail and seek a crossing at dusk.
Appreciation
Leaves, geese and north wind establish the early cold.
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Home at the Xiang River is set far beyond the clouds.
A lone sail and an uncertain crossing can describe the river scene while suggesting uncertainty.
Several textual variants exist; this page follows the catalogue version.
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.