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In a touching poem, Li Bai writes,
As the green hills are above the northern wall,
White water billows east of the city.
And from this spot, in a single act, we both part.
And as a lonely tumbleweed now travels ten thousand li,
drifting clouds echo a travelers thoughts.
The setting sun has begun to reflect my old friends feelings.
And as he departs he waves his hand,
and his horse cries out as he leaves.
Sometimes the right words are hard to find
In “Farewell My Friend”, another poem that strikes a solemn tone,
Li Bai has once again created beautiful images that may leave a lasting impression
upon any open mind.
In a poem that calls to mind a single solitary traveler departing into the sunset,
a lonely tumbleweed travels, and drifting clouds echo the travelers thoughts.
This set of images has created an impression so beautiful, it seems to take on an
extraordinary dreamlike quality.
And while the quality of the imagery is perhaps beyond debate, the nature of the poem
and its relation to the poets’ mind is much less clear.
On the surface it would seem the poem is a simple description of two friends who have just parted.
But like much of Li Bai’s work, simple words create ample room for varied interpretations.
In a scene that may conjure the rough rugged textures of the central plains, a lonely traveler may roam like a tumbleweed, as the mind drifts like the clouds up above.
Yet the nature of the sun is much more confounding.
Certainly a beautiful scene, sunsets have captured the human imagination for eons.
The significance of the sun within this poem is however, much less certain.
Just what do these friends feel upon parting?
Does the impending darkness symbolize a friendship that has come to an end?
Or is the sun a reflection of enchanting thoughts that will last for an eternity?
*** A mystic and a poet, Li Bai considers the nature of human existence in both space and time.
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