[Poem] SEEING OFF MENG HAORAN FROM YELLOW CRANE TOWER - An Exquisite Scene of Friendship and Longing

Written by Li Bai, this poem captures the delicate moment of parting as the poet bids farewell to his close friend, Meng Haoran, who embarks from Yellow Crane Tower toward Yangzhou in early spring. The scene is set against a backdrop of blossoming willows and bright skies, reflecting both the beauty of nature and the bittersweet feelings associated with separation. Li Bai’s words emphasize the gentleness of the season juxtaposed with the ache of farewell; the towering view offers a final glimpse of his friend’s boat, symbolized by a lone sail fading into the distance. As that sail disappears into the blue horizon, the unrelenting course of the Yangtze River comes into focus, underscoring the flow of life that persists even through change and parting.

In four succinct lines, Li Bai masterfully evokes a powerful sense of transience: friendships, like the spring blossoms, flourish brightly and then slip away. Yet there is a serene acceptance in his tone—though the friend must depart, life’s currents carry us onward, much like the inexorable flow of the river. The poem’s imagery of open skies and endless waters suggests a vast world in which such moments of sorrow and hope are universally experienced. Beyond the personal farewell, the poem resonates with anyone who has had to watch someone they cherish drift away, balancing the tenderness of memory with the forward momentum of time.