[Poem] FAREWELL AT THE SOUTHERN SHORE - A Brief Reflection on Loss and Moving Forward

In this concise yet affecting poem, Bai Juyi captures the delicate tension between love, memory, and the necessity of letting go. Set at a place called “the southern shore” (南浦), the poem situates us at a transitional landscape, where water meets land and autumn’s onset underscores the melancholy of change. The “west wind” (西风) blowing softly introduces a mild chill, highlighting that seasonal shifts often mirror inner emotional states—just as leaves fade and nights grow longer, relationships, too, can transition toward an inevitable farewell.

The poem’s brevity enhances its emotional impact. In four lines, Bai Juyi presents a scene of heartbreak—“A single backward glance cuts deep into my heart”—revealing how even a fleeting gesture can trigger a flood of sentiment. Yet, the final line offers a hint of resolution: “Go well—try not to look back again.” Here, the poet nudges both the traveler and the reader to accept that some partings must be faced without constant regret.

Throughout his body of work, Bai Juyi often addressed themes of human vulnerability and the impermanence of attachments. “Farewell at the Southern Shore” exemplifies his skill in wedding direct, accessible language to profound emotional resonance. By placing us at a liminal space—the meeting of land and water—he underscores how life’s turning points can hold both sorrow and the faint promise of a new beginning. In just a handful of characters, this poem invites quiet contemplation on how, despite our longing, we must sometimes move forward without dwelling on what has passed. The gentle resignation in its tone reminds us that acknowledging loss is a natural part of personal growth, much as autumn inevitably yields to winter and, eventually, the reawakening of spring.