The
poem was written on a boat trip along the Yangtze river, when Li Bai was
26-years-old. He bid farewell to the family and went on a long trip, ready to
explore the world.
Translation
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Li
Bai (701-762 AD)
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李白
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On
the Ferry: A Farewell to Jingmen
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渡荊門送別
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The
ferry’s leaving Jingmen
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渡遠荊門外
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On
its journey to the southern sun.
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來從楚國遊
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I
follow the peaks and boundless plains
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山隨平野盡
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To
reach the river’s running veins.
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江入大荒流
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The
moon sinks in the mirror sky
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月下飛天鏡
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To
join the clouds and towers in the ocean dye.
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雲生結海樓
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I’m
thousands of miles away, on a traveling boat,
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仍憐故鄉水
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But
on my native waters, I still see it float.
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萬里送行舟
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Original Chinese
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Traditional
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Simplified
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Pronunciation
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李白
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李白
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Lǐ
Bái
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渡荊門送別
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渡荆门送别
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Dù
jīng mén sòng bié
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渡遠荊門外，
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渡远荆门外，
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Dù
yuǎn jīng mén wài,
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來從楚國遊。
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来从楚国游。
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Lái
cóng chu guó yóu.
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山隨平野盡，
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山随平野尽，
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Shān
suí píng yě jǐn,
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江入大荒流。
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江入大荒流。
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Jiāng
rù dà huāng liú.
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月下飛天鏡，
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月下飞天镜，
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Yuè
xià fēi tiān jìng,
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雲生結海樓。
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云生结海楼。
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Yún
shēng jié hǎi lóu.
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仍憐故鄉水，
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仍怜故乡水，
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Réng
lián gù xiāng shuǐ,
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萬里送行舟。
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万里送行舟。
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Wàn
lǐ sòng xíng zhōu.
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Literal Notes
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李白
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Plum
White=Li Bai(701-762)
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渡荊門送別
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Ferry
Jing Men Send-Off Depart
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渡遠荊門外，
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Ferry
distant Jing Men outside
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來從楚國遊。
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Come
from Chu Kingdom travel
[Chu
Kingdom = an ancient kingdom in the south of China]
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山隨平野盡，
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Mountain
follow plain field limits
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江入大荒流。
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River
enter big countryside float
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月下飛天鏡，
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Moon
fall fly sky mirror
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雲生結海樓。
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Clouds
born tie sea towers
[Sea
towers = an idiom meaning “a mirage.”]
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仍憐故鄉水，
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Keep
pity old village water
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萬里送行舟。
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Thousand
miles dispatched go boat.
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