Analysis of "送陆判官往琵琶峡" - Classical Chinese Poetry

Introduction

The poem "送陆判官往琵琶峡" (Sòng Lù Pànguān Wǎng Pípá Xiá) was written by the renowned Tang Dynasty poet Li Bai (李白, 701-762), one of China's most celebrated literary figures. This farewell poem reflects the Tang Dynasty's golden age of poetry, when parting verses were a significant cultural practice among scholars and officials. The poem captures the melancholy of separation while showcasing Li Bai's characteristic romanticism and vivid natural imagery. Its significance lies in its perfect balance of emotional depth and scenic grandeur, exemplifying classical Chinese poetry's ability to convey profound feelings through landscape.

The Poem: Full Text and Translation

送陆判官往琵琶峡
Sòng Lù Pànguān Wǎng Pípá Xiá
Seeing Off Judge Lu to Pipa Gorge

水国秋风夜
Shuǐ guó qiūfēng yè
In water-country autumn wind night

殊非远别时
Shū fēi yuǎn bié shí
This is hardly the time for distant parting

长安如梦里
Cháng'ān rú mèng lǐ
Chang'an seems like within a dream

何日是归期
Hé rì shì guī qī
What day will be the return time?

Line-by-Line Analysis

Lines 1-2:
The opening establishes a melancholic autumn setting near waterways ("water-country"), with the night wind emphasizing loneliness. The poet suggests this season makes separation particularly painful in Chinese tradition, where autumn symbolizes decline and parting.

Lines 3-4:
Li Bai employs a striking metaphor comparing the capital Chang'an (the Tang political/cultural center) to a dream - both elusive and possibly idealized. The rhetorical question about Judge Lu's return reveals the poet's anxiety about separation's uncertainty, a common theme in farewell poems.

Themes and Symbolism

Primary Themes:
1. Transience: The autumn imagery underscores life's impermanence
2. Separation anxiety: Common in Tang literati culture where postings could last years
3. Dislocation: The dreamlike capital suggests officials' rootlessness

Key Symbols:
- Autumn wind: Represents the inevitable passage of time
- Water-country: Suggests both the journey's path and life's fluidity
- Dream: Symbolizes the unreliability of human plans

Cultural Context

Written during the Tang Dynasty's peak (8th century), this poem reflects:
1. The yousong (farewell poem) tradition among scholar-officials
2. The civil service system requiring frequent relocations
3. Daoist influences in Li Bai's worldview - accepting nature's cycles

The Pipa Gorge (in modern Chongqing) was a real destination, but also symbolic as a remote frontier post. Such assignments carried both honor and isolation in Tang bureaucracy.

Conclusion

Li Bai transforms a routine official transfer into a meditation on human impermanence through exquisite natural imagery and emotional restraint. The poem's enduring appeal lies in its universal treatment of separation - relevant to any era where people must part for duty or circumstance. Its 28 characters demonstrate classical Chinese poetry's unmatched density of meaning, where every word carries layered significance. For modern readers, it offers both historical insight and timeless emotional resonance about life's uncertain journeys.