A Farewell from Xie Tiao Tower in Xuanzhou - Li Bai
/宣州谢朓楼饯别校书叔云 - 李白/
A Towering Farewell Embracing Hope
弃我去者，昨日之日不可留；
The days that have passed and gone cannot be kept.
乱我心者，今日之日多烦忧。
The troubles that agitate my heart—today is full of new anxieties.
长风万里送秋雁，
A sweeping wind from ten thousand miles carries the autumn geese,
对此可以酣高楼。
Yet here we can drink deeply in this lofty tower.
蓬莱文章建安骨，
Your writing recalls the lofty style of Penglai and the firm spirit of the Jian’an era,
中间小谢又清发。
Amid it all, I see the pure flair of Little Xie’s verse.
俱怀逸兴壮思飞，
Both of us bear grand ambitions and soaring thoughts,
欲上青天览明月。
Longing to ascend the blue sky and behold the bright moon.
抽刀断水水更流，
I draw my sword to cut the flowing water, yet it flows on all the more;
举杯消愁愁更愁。
I lift my cup to dispel sorrow—yet sorrow only deepens.
人生在世不称意，
Life seldom meets our desires,
明朝散发弄扁舟。
Tomorrow, I shall let my hair down and drift away in a humble boat.
Li Bai’s “A Farewell from Xie Tiao Tower in Xuanzhou” (commonly known by its Chinese title “宣州谢朓楼饯别校书叔云”) embodies the bittersweet intersection between life’s transience and a yearning for unbridled freedom. The poem begins with an acknowledgment that past days are irretrievable—an echo of how swiftly time slips away. This regret evolves into contemplation on present burdens, as Li Bai admits he cannot simply shake off his anxieties and must confront them.
Strikingly, he contrasts these sorrows with moments of sheer grandeur: a vast wind carrying the autumn geese, and the pleasure of sharing wine in a tall tower. Such images serve as metaphors for ambition and the desire to rise beyond earthly constraints. The references to Penglai and the revered Jian’an era further underscore the poet’s admiration for literary excellence and the lofty ideals of antiquity. Li Bai reveals his own poetic lineage by invoking the spirit of “Little Xie,” aligning himself with a tradition of refined and expressive verse.
The couplet on attempting to cut water with a sword, only for it to flow more vigorously, and drinking wine to dispel sorrow—only for it to deepen—is one of Chinese poetry’s most iconic depictions of existential paradox. It encapsulates the feeling that certain forces, like the relentless passage of time or the persistence of grief, cannot be mastered through sheer will. Despite that bleak realization, the poem ends with Li Bai’s characteristic resolve: if life cannot be bent to one’s will, he will take to a boat and sail forth, unconfined. This gesture of releasing worldly cares and letting hair loose suggests an embracing of spontaneity, a readiness to roam freely.
In fewer than 500 words, this poem’s message is twofold: while it acknowledges the ache of unfulfilled ambitions and the constant flow of time and sorrow, it also proclaims a longing for transcendence. Through imagery of winds, geese, towers, and a solitary boat, Li Bai points to the possibility that creative energy and bold aspiration can momentarily lift the spirit beyond life’s cares. The enduring resonance of this poem lies in its delicate balance of wistfulness and defiantly optimistic resolve.
Key points
1. Time cannot be reclaimed, yet each present moment holds potential for renewal.
2. True companionship may lie in shared intellectual and creative pursuits.
3. Attempts to control sorrow through forceful means can paradoxically intensify it.
4. Life seldom aligns with our ideals, but we can still aspire beyond our limitations.
5. Freedom—both literal and metaphorical—emerges when we release constraints and dare to venture forth.
