[Poem] PARTING OF YUAN THE SECOND ON HIS MISSION TO ANXI - A quintessential farewell capturing both warmth and wistfulness

In “Parting of Yuan the Second on His Mission to Anxi,” Wang Wei crystallizes the bittersweet essence of saying goodbye. Written during the Tang Dynasty, the poem is traditionally recited at farewells, echoing the mingled sadness and care felt between friends going separate ways. With delicate brevity, Wang Wei sets the scene in Weicheng (a place near the capital) on a drizzly morning. The gentle rainfall dampens the dust, making the willow trees seem fresh and inviting—an image that contrasts with the imminent departure.

Against this setting, Wang Wei offers his friend one last cup of wine. It is both a gesture of camaraderie and a symbolic token of warmth, meant to bolster the traveler’s spirit before journeying into distant, perhaps lonely, regions. The poem’s iconic final line—“For west of Yang Pass, no familiar faces remain”—captures the heart of Tang poetry’s farewell tradition: the world becomes vast and uncertain once you leave the comforts of the known. Yet the shared moment over a final cup stands as a testament to enduring friendship.

By balancing everyday imagery (willows, morning rain, a roadside inn) with deep emotional resonance, Wang Wei ensures the reader feels the complexity of farewells: the sorrow, the hope, and the silent promise that bonds of friendship persist regardless of distance. The poem’s lasting appeal is evident in how often its lines are quoted in Chinese culture, where they serve as an elegant expression of parting sentiments and cherished connections.