— Li Qi
In the eighth moon the weed cold grows,
The autumn waves surge with white crest.
The mast shivers as north wind blows;
Why should my guest go to the west?
The rain no longer drizzles on hilltop;
Out of the door rises the evening tide.
At night along the beach my friend should stop.
Hear lonely wild goose cry by riverside!
Note
Li Qi (c. 690–751) was a distinguished poet of the High Tang Dynasty, known for his dynamic rhythms, vivid natural imagery, and masterful farewell poems. Though he held only minor government posts, his poetry – often set against vast landscapes and seasonal shifts – captures the emotional weight of parting with quiet intensity and cinematic detail.
His poem “Farewell to Liu Yu” paints a poignant autumnal journey. It opens with stark, wintry images: “In August, cold reed flowers drift; / On the autumn river, white-capped waves rise.” The wind blows hard – the “five ounces” (a reference to a wind-measuring feather on ship masts) – as the poet wonders, “Who is the traveler bound for Xunyang?”
The scene then shifts southward: rain clears over Luci Mountain; evening tides rise near Yangzhou’s city walls. The departing friend will spend the night on a sandbar near Jinling (modern Nanjing), where wild geese cry along the shore – a classic symbol of exile, longing, and the passage of time. Rather than direct lament, Li Qi evokes mood through landscape, letting nature voice the unspoken sorrow of separation.
送刘昱
— 李颀
八月寒苇花，
秋江浪头白。
北风吹五两，
谁是浔阳客。
鸬鹚山头微雨晴，
扬州郭里暮潮生。
行人夜宿金陵渚，
试听沙边有雁声。
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