Analysis of "送杨山人归嵩山" - Classical Chinese Poetry

Introduction

Li Bai (李白, 701–762), often regarded as China's greatest romantic poet, wrote "送杨山人归嵩山" ("Seeing Yang the Mountain Man Return to Song Mountain") during the Tang Dynasty's golden age of poetry. This farewell poem exemplifies Li Bai's signature style—blending natural imagery with emotional depth while celebrating freedom and spiritual transcendence.

The poem reflects the Tang Dynasty's Daoist influences, where reclusive scholars ("mountain men") symbolized resistance to bureaucratic life. Its enduring popularity stems from how it transforms a simple parting into a meditation on nature's eternal beauty.

The Poem: Full Text and Translation

我有万古宅
Wǒ yǒu wàn gǔ zhái
I possess an ancient dwelling

嵩阳玉女峰
Sōng yáng yù nǚ fēng
At the Jade Maiden Peak of Song Mountain

长留一片月
Cháng liú yī piàn yuè
Where a slice of moonlight lingers forever

挂在东溪松
Guà zài dōng xī sōng
Draped over pines by the eastern stream

尔去掇仙草
Ěr qù duō xiān cǎo
You depart to gather herbs of immortality

菖蒲花紫茸
Chāng pú huā zǐ róng
Purple-tasseled calamus flowers

岁晚或相访
Suì wǎn huò xiāng fǎng
In my twilight years I may visit

青天骑白龙
Qīng tiān qí bái lóng
Riding a white dragon across blue skies

Line-by-Line Analysis

Lines 1-4 establish the mystical setting. The "ancient dwelling" isn't literal—it's Li Bai's spiritual claim to the mountain, suggesting timeless belonging. The Jade Maiden Peak (a real summit in Song Mountain) becomes ethereal with the "slice of moonlight," an image combining permanence ("lingers forever") with delicate beauty.

Lines 5-6 shift focus to Yang's journey. "Herbs of immortality" reference Daoist alchemy, while "purple-tasseled calamus" (a medicinal plant) adds sensory richness. Purple symbolized nobility and spirituality in Tang culture.

Lines 7-8 conclude with Li Bai's whimsical promise. The "white dragon" imagery—unexpected in a farewell poem—reveals his romantic defiance of earthly limits. Unlike conventional parting verses expressing sorrow, this fantasy reunion underscores their shared transcendental values.

Themes and Symbolism

1. Nature as Sanctuary: The mountain represents an alternative to Confucian social duties—a Daoist ideal where landscapes embody spiritual truth.

2. Temporal Duality: Contrasts like "ancient dwelling" (timelessness) and "twilight years" (mortality) explore existence's cyclical nature.

3. Alchemical Imagery: Herbs and dragons symbolize self-cultivation, hinting that both men seek enlightenment beyond official careers.

Key symbols:
- White Dragon: Represents unfettered freedom and divine ascent in Daoist mythology.
- Purple Flowers: In Tang color symbolism, purple connected to the celestial realm (e.g., "purple clouds" as auspicious signs).

Cultural Context

Written during Li Bai's wandering years (circa 740s CE), this poem reflects:
- Tang Dynasty Daoism: Emperor Xuanzong promoted Daoism as state religion; many literati admired hermits like Yang.
- Scholar-Recluse Tradition: "Mountain men" were cultural figures who rejected civil service exams to pursue self-realization.
- Poetic Innovation: Breaking from rigid farewell poem conventions, Li Bai prioritizes imaginative flight over formal melancholy.

The poem's value lies in its subtext—while Yang physically returns to Song Mountain, Li Bai suggests their true meeting place is the realm of poetic imagination.

Conclusion

"送杨山人归嵩山" transcends its farewell premise to celebrate spiritual kinship with nature. Li Bai's genius lies in making the improbable—moonlight suspended on pines, dragonback reunions—feel inevitable. For modern readers, it offers a vision of friendship unbounded by time or convention.

The poem remains relevant as it speaks to universal yearnings: our search for meaningful connections and the courage to envision extraordinary possibilities. In Li Bai's cosmos, even partings become gateways to wonder.