Analysis of a Classic Chinese Poem: 宣州谢脁楼饯别校书叔云

# Analysis of "宣州谢脁楼饯别校书叔云" - Classical Chinese Poetry

## Introduction  
Li Bai (李白, 701–762), one of China's most celebrated poets from the Tang Dynasty, wrote *"Farewell to Uncle Yun, Imperial Librarian, at Xie Tiao’s Pavilion in Xuanzhou"* (宣州谢脁楼饯别校书叔云). This poem exemplifies Li Bai's signature romanticism, blending personal emotion with grand natural imagery. Composed during Li Bai's later years, it reflects his melancholy over unfulfilled ambitions and admiration for Xie Tiao, a Southern Dynasty poet whose pavilion becomes a symbolic space for reflection. The poem is renowned for its emotional depth and philosophical musings on transience.

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## The Poem: Full Text and Translation  

> 弃我去者，昨日之日不可留。  
> *Qì wǒ qù zhě, zuó rì zhī rì bù kě liú.*  
> What left me yesterday / Can be retained no more.  

> 乱我心者，今日之日多烦忧。  
> *Luàn wǒ xīn zhě, jīn rì zhī rì duō fán yōu.*  
> What troubles me today / Is the times I deplore.  

> 长风万里送秋雁，对此可以酣高楼。  
> *Cháng fēng wàn lǐ sòng qiū yàn, duì cǐ kě yǐ hān gāo lóu.*  
> For miles and miles the autumn breeze / Blows away the wild geese; / Let us drink our cups dry / In this pavilion high!  

> 蓬莱文章建安骨，中间小谢又清发。  
> *Péng lái wén zhāng jiàn ān gǔ, zhōng jiān xiǎo xiè yòu qīng fā.*  
> The writings of immortal men / Still have the bones of Jian’an Style, / While younger Xie’s is fresh and free.  

> 俱怀逸兴壮思飞，欲上青天揽明月。  
> *Jù huái yì xìng zhuàng sī fēi, yù shàng qīng tiān lǎn míng yuè.*  
> We both aspire to fly afar / To grasp the moon or a bright star.  

> 抽刀断水水更流，举杯消愁愁更愁。  
> *Chōu dāo duàn shuǐ shuǐ gèng liú, jǔ bēi xiāo chóu chóu gèng chóu.*  
> Cut running water with a sword, still it will flow; / Quench sorrow with wine, and it will heavier grow.  

> 人生在世不称意，明朝散发弄扁舟。  
> *Rén shēng zài shì bù chēng yì, míng zhāo sàn fà nòng piān zhōu.*  
> If in this world we cannot drown our sorrow, / Then sail a boat with loosened hair tomorrow!  

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## Line-by-Line Analysis  

1. **"What left me yesterday..."**  
   Li Bai opens with resignation, acknowledging the irretrievable past. The repetition of "昨日" (yesterday) and "今日" (today) contrasts fleeting time with present turmoil.  

2. **"For miles and miles the autumn breeze..."**  
   The "autumn breeze" and "wild geese" symbolize change and departure. The pavilion becomes a vantage point to escape sorrow through wine, a classic Daoist trope.  

3. **"The writings of immortal men..."**  
   Li Bai praises the Jian’an era’s literary vigor and Xie Tiao’s (小谢) "fresh" style, aligning himself with these traditions while hinting at his own unappreciated genius.  

4. **"We both aspire to fly afar..."**  
   The imagery of grasping the moon reflects Li Bai’s boundless imagination and frustration with earthly constraints.  

5. **"Cut running water with a sword..."**  
   A famous paradox: human efforts against nature’s inevitability (water = time/sorrow) are futile. Wine, a temporary solace, deepens melancholy.  

6. **"If in this world we cannot drown our sorrow..."**  
   The final lines suggest retreat—a Daoist-inspired escape into nature, "loosened hair" symbolizing freedom from societal norms.  

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## Themes and Symbolism  

- **Transience vs. Eternity**: The poem juxtaposes mortal struggles ("water flows") with timeless art ("immortal men’s writings").  
- **Nature as Refuge**: Wind, geese, and rivers mirror inner turbulence, while the pavilion and boat offer symbolic escape.  
- **Unfulfilled Ambition**: References to Jian’an literati and Xie Tiao underscore Li Bai’s yearning for recognition.  

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## Cultural Context  

Written during the Tang Dynasty’s decline, the poem reflects *shi* (诗) poetry’s introspective turn. Li Bai blends Confucian literary pride with Daoist escapism, embodying the scholar-official’s conflict between duty and freedom. The "pavilion," a physical and metaphorical space, honors Xie Tiao’s legacy while critiquing contemporary politics.  

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## Conclusion  

Li Bai’s masterpiece resonates for its raw emotion and universal themes—time’s passage, artistic legacy, and the search for solace. Its vivid imagery ("grasp the moon") and paradoxical wisdom ("cut water") transcend culture, offering readers today a poignant reflection on resilience and release. The poem endures as a testament to poetry’s power to articulate the ineffable.  

*Final thought*: In an age of haste, Li Bai’s words remind us that some sorrows cannot be severed—only carried, like a boat adrift under the moon.