A Farewell Song
No dust is raised on the road wet with morning rain
The willows by the hotel look so fresh and green
I invite you to drink a cup of wine again
West of the sunny pass no more friends will be▲
(Translated by Xu Yuanchong)
Time flies and you will soon graduate from junior school. It might be a little sad to say goodbye to your teachers and classmates. This same feeling was shared more than 1,000 years ago when the Tang Dynasty poet Wang Wei(701-761) had to say goodbye to his friend Yuan Er.
The last two lines are the most well-known. The poet invites Yuan to drink wine because he knows that life in Anxi will be tough. Most cities in China were prosperous (繁华的) during the Tang Dynasty (018-907), but the western areas were quite desolate(荒凉的). Wang thought the journey to the west would be full of hardship. So. when Wang says "I invite you to drink a cup of wine again, " he is pouring both his care and good wishes into the cup. This sincere love for his friend made this poem popular back then and it remains today.
