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Seeing Off Vice-Minister Li, Demoted to Mid-Gorge, and Vice-Minister Wang, Demoted to Changsha, Gao Shi
Alas, my lords, thus parted—what are your feelings now?
Halt your horses, take these cups—are you demoted?
Apes wail within Wu Gorge—there’s many trails of tears.
The geese return to Hengyang—write me many letters.
Autumn on Guifeng River, boats are so remote.
At the edge of Badi Town, old trees are sparsely leafed.
Right now it’s a Holy Era with much rain and dew—
A short-term parting of friends: don’t hesitate or falter.
送李少府贬峡中王少府贬长沙
嗟君此别意何如？
驻马衔杯问谪居？
巫峡啼猿数行泪，
衡阳归雁几封书。
青枫江上秋帆远，
白帝城边古木疏。
圣代即今多雨露，
暂时分手莫踌躇。
These are the sort of demotions that are intended as exiles, far away from the court and capital, similar to Roman relegations. The gorge in question is Qutong, the uppermost and narrowest of the Three Gorges of the Yangzi—Badi (“white emperor) is the town at the upper end of Qutong (see #269), while Wu is the next gorge downstream, to the east. Changsha, Huhan, is downstream the Yangzi from the Gorges, and Qingfeng is a river in the mountains nearby. Hengyang, somewhat upstream of Changsha, was reputed to be a place where geese on migration met up before returning north—and if they’re returning, they are folklorically required to bring letters with them. Added in translation: “leafed,” to clarify that the trees aren’t sparsely planted. The rain and dew signify both stormy times politically as well as tears.
---L.
Alas, my lords, thus parted—what are your feelings now?
Halt your horses, take these cups—are you demoted?
Apes wail within Wu Gorge—there’s many trails of tears.
The geese return to Hengyang—write me many letters.
Autumn on Guifeng River, boats are so remote.
At the edge of Badi Town, old trees are sparsely leafed.
Right now it’s a Holy Era with much rain and dew—
A short-term parting of friends: don’t hesitate or falter.
送李少府贬峡中王少府贬长沙
嗟君此别意何如？
驻马衔杯问谪居？
巫峡啼猿数行泪，
衡阳归雁几封书。
青枫江上秋帆远，
白帝城边古木疏。
圣代即今多雨露，
暂时分手莫踌躇。
These are the sort of demotions that are intended as exiles, far away from the court and capital, similar to Roman relegations. The gorge in question is Qutong, the uppermost and narrowest of the Three Gorges of the Yangzi—Badi (“white emperor) is the town at the upper end of Qutong (see #269), while Wu is the next gorge downstream, to the east. Changsha, Huhan, is downstream the Yangzi from the Gorges, and Qingfeng is a river in the mountains nearby. Hengyang, somewhat upstream of Changsha, was reputed to be a place where geese on migration met up before returning north—and if they’re returning, they are folklorically required to bring letters with them. Added in translation: “leafed,” to clarify that the trees aren’t sparsely planted. The rain and dew signify both stormy times politically as well as tears.
---L.