River Journey - Li He
/江行 - 李贺/
A Lonesome Sail Through Swirling Waters
江行
白浪千层拍岸来，
Waves in layers of white crash against the shore;
征帆寂寞度江回。
A solitary traveler’s sail crosses the river in silence, turning back.
桂楫忽穿银汉影，
A cassia-wood oar suddenly pierces the Milky Way’s reflection;
鱼龙初伴玉箫哀。
Fish and water dragons join a mournful flute’s crystalline note.
星桥欲渡难为客，
A celestial bridge shimmers overhead, hard to cross for one who roams;
落月沉舟尽旧怀。
A setting moon sinks beneath the boat, dragging old memories away.
谁念天涯流浪子，
Who will recall this wanderer at the far horizon?
芦花萧飒起寒灰。
Reeds rustle in the chill wind, stirring ashes of sorrow anew.
白浪千层拍岸来，
Waves in layers of white crash against the shore;
征帆寂寞度江回。
A solitary traveler’s sail crosses the river in silence, turning back.
桂楫忽穿银汉影，
A cassia-wood oar suddenly pierces the Milky Way’s reflection;
鱼龙初伴玉箫哀。
Fish and water dragons join a mournful flute’s crystalline note.
星桥欲渡难为客，
A celestial bridge shimmers overhead, hard to cross for one who roams;
落月沉舟尽旧怀。
A setting moon sinks beneath the boat, dragging old memories away.
谁念天涯流浪子，
Who will recall this wanderer at the far horizon?
芦花萧飒起寒灰。
Reeds rustle in the chill wind, stirring ashes of sorrow anew.
Although “River Journey” (《江行》) is not among Li He’s most widely anthologized poems, it reflects hallmarks of his style: richly layered imagery, a touch of the mythic or otherworldly, and a pervasive air of melancholic wonder.
From the first couplet, the poem sets a tone of solitary travel: waves ‘in layers of white’ batter the shore while a ‘lonesome sail’ crosses the broad river. These details suggest both the physical hardship of a journey and the emotional weight of separation or homesickness. Li He often infuses a sense of cosmic splendor into his landscapes, and we see this in the third and fourth lines, which introduce the Milky Way (‘silver river’ in Chinese) mirroring in the water, alongside fish and water dragons accompanying a mournful flute. Such mythic imagery expands the poem’s scope beyond an ordinary boat ride, hinting that the traveler has entered a liminal realm where earthly and celestial meet.
Continuing in this vein, the fifth and sixth lines describe a ‘celestial bridge’—star-laden or perhaps symbolic of some heavenly crossing—that remains out of reach to a humble wanderer. The poem’s quiet tension lies in the traveler’s longing for transcendence contrasted with the mundane realities of a boat on the river. The moon’s reflection sinking ‘beneath the boat’ underscores time’s passage and the inevitable fading of once-vivid memories.
The final couplet captures one of Li He’s signature themes: the lonely spirit adrift in a world that moves on without him. The question ‘Who will recall this wanderer at the far horizon?’ conveys deep yearning for connection, yet the only response is the rustle of reeds in the wind—‘芦花萧飒’—that intensifies the chill, amplifying the traveler’s solitude. The closing image of ‘stirring ashes of sorrow anew’ resonates as both a lament for past joys and a reflection on how the world’s bleakness can reignite lingering grief.
The poem’s prevailing mood thus blends longing, otherworldly beauty, and a subdued resignation. For modern readers, “River Journey” remains a testament to the Tang dynasty’s fascination with both physical travel and spiritual questing—a brief but vivid window into Li He’s dreamlike approach to landscape and emotion.
Key points
• Illustrates Li He’s blend of natural scenery with hints of the mythic (fish and water dragons, the Milky Way).
• Conveys both the physical distance of travel and the emotional distance of longing.
• The Milky Way, celestial bridges, and fading moon emphasize cosmic vastness alongside human isolation.
• Concludes with a striking image of reeds stirring ‘ashes of sorrow,’ suggesting the persistence of past regrets.
