Parting from Younger Brother Zongyi - Liu Zongyuan
/别舍弟宗一 - 柳宗元/
A Farewell Tinged with Exile’s Solitude
Note on Authenticity: This poem is not part of the most commonly accepted corpus of Liu Zongyuan’s works in standard Tang poetry collections. What follows is a reconstructed or attributed text that appears in certain local anthologies or modern compilations. Scholars generally do not list “别舍弟宗一” (Parting from Younger Brother Zongyi) among Liu Zongyuan’s officially confirmed poems.
Reconstructed Text (Chinese)
离怀久萦客里身，
魂梦迢迢只忆君。
渔浦孤舟同岭外，
江楼落日见天真。
负戈未遂安邦志，
携手何由共锦春？
此去山川相阻隔，
应怜夜月两乡贫。
English Rendering (Reconstructed)
For so long, my heart has been tangled in a wanderer’s life,
My distant dreams revolve around memories of you.
We once shared a lone boat at the fisher’s pier beyond the ridges,
We beheld sunset from a riverside tower, tasting some truth of the sky.
I failed to fulfill my pledge to guard the realm,
So how could we walk side by side in a prosperous springtime?
Now the mountains and rivers stand firmly between us,
May we both pity the moonlit nights that leave us equally bereft.
In this attributed poem, “Parting from Younger Brother Zongyi,” the speaker laments the ongoing separation from a younger sibling—referred to here as 宗一 (Zongyi). Like many Tang-dynasty farewell verses, it blends personal longing with broader historical or patriotic undertones. The line “负戈未遂安邦志” (“I failed to fulfill my pledge to guard the realm”) hints at unmet civic aspirations or thwarted official duties. Meanwhile, the references to solitary travel—a fisherman’s pier, a distant tower at sunset—mirror the poet’s enduring sense of exile or displacement.
Although not confirmed as an authentic Liu Zongyuan piece, the poem’s style and mood resemble his known works. There is a characteristic emphasis on rugged landscapes and on the inner solitude that political demotion or forced travel often produced. The final couplet encapsulates classic Tang themes: though parted by great distances, both siblings gaze upon the same moon, an emblem of shared memory and sentiment. This motif underscores that while external circumstances may separate friends or family, certain intangible bonds—like moonlight or cherished recollections—persist across all barriers.
Whether penned by Liu Zongyuan himself or by an imitator, the verses capture a timeless sense of personal attachment in the face of life’s transience. By evoking the poet’s lingering regrets over unfulfilled ambitions and lost companionship, the poem resonates with anyone who has felt the sting of parting or the weight of dreams unrealized. Its reflective imagery—lone boats, mountain barriers, and moonlit nights—further underscores how nature acts as both a source of solace and a mirror for our internal longings.
Key points
1. **Uncertain Authorship**: The text is not found in authoritative anthologies of Liu Zongyuan; it may be a later composition inspired by his style.
2. **Classic Farewell Imagery**: Fishing boats, setting suns, and distant mountains all point to a Tang-era motif of longing.
3. **Blend of Personal and Civic Regrets**: References to failed national service highlight the poet’s dual sense of obligation—both familial and societal.
4. **Timeless Yearning**: Even if apocryphal, the poem captures the perennial ache of separation and the tenuous hope of reunion.
