Send Off Vice-Mayor Yang, Demoted and Sent to Chenzhou
送 杨 少 府 贬 郴 州
明 到 衡 山 与 洞 庭
若 为 秋 月 听 猿 声？
愁 看 北 渚 三 湘 近
恶 说 南 风 五 两 轻。
青 草 瘴 时 过 夏 口
白 头 浪 里 出 湓 城。
长 沙 不 久 留 才 子
贾 谊 何 须 吊 屈 平！
Song Yang Shao Fu Bian Chen Zhou
Ming dao heng shan yu dong ting
Re wei qiu yue ting yuan sheng ?
Chou kan bei zhu san xiang jin
E shuo nan feng wu liang qing.
Qing cao zhang shi guo xia kou
Bai tou lang li chu pen cheng.
Chang sha bu jiu liu cai zi
Jia yi he xu diao qu ping !
Send Off Vice-Mayor Yang, Demoted and Sent to Chenzhou
Tomorrow you will go to the region of Dongting Lake and the Heng mountains
How can you help but hear the monkeys during the autumn moon?
Melancholy when seeing the northern islet near the Sanxiang river confluence
Hate to tell you, but you will be traveling into the strong southern wind.
At least you will pass safely though Xiakou, where it is early spring miasma season
And make your way through the white rapids at Pencheng.
Only for a short time will you remain in Changsha as a gifted scholar
Jiayi did not need to bow low, and mourn for too long.
Notes:
Hear the monkeys: Monkey sounds were considered a metaphor for a person living in rural isolation.
Strong southern wind: On a boat in ancient China, there often was a half-pound feather pouch hanging on top of the mast. It was used to gauge wind strength and boat speed. Winds from the south moved boats traveling north to the capital very quickly, but very slowly for his friend because he is traveling south, to go into exile from the northern capital of Chang’an.
Xiakou: Near the present day city of Wuhan.
Pencheng: A city on the way back to the capital along the Changjiang (Yangzi River).
Changsha: A very large city in the province of Hunan.
Jiayi: A man from ancient China who worked for the Han emperor Wandi. He was very smart, vigorous and young, and rose too quickly up the ranks. Three old men spread rumors to set him up for a fall. Consequently, the emperor sent him into exile to Changsha. Thinking of jumping into the river to commit suicide, the emperor recalled Jiayi after one year. Wang Wei is implying that his friend too can be recalled to the capital after one year.