Farewell on River Yi [Tang Poems]

— Luo Binwang

The hero left his friend

With angry hair on end.

The martyr’s now no more,

The waves cold as of yore.

Note

Luo Binwang (c. 640–684) was one of the “Four Great Poets of the Early Tang,” renowned for his bold rhetoric, moral fervor, and mastery of concise, evocative verse. A man of strong principles and political involvement, he later joined a failed rebellion against Empress Wu Zetian and disappeared from history – adding to his legend as a tragic hero.

His poem “Farewell at the Yi River” is a powerful, four-line meditation on heroism, loyalty, and historical memory. It recalls the famous story of Jing Ke, the assassin who in 227 BCE bid farewell to Prince Dan of Yan at the Yi River before attempting to kill the king of Qin (later China’s First Emperor). As Jing Ke prepared for his doomed mission, his friend Gao Jianli played a zither, and Jing Ke sang: “The wind is bleak, the Yi River cold – / The hero departs, never to return!” His rage and resolve were so intense that “his hair stood on end under his cap.”

Luo Binwang stands at the same river centuries later. Though the people are long gone, he writes, “today the water is still cold” – a chilling line that merges physical sensation with emotional resonance. The coldness symbolizes enduring moral intensity, unfulfilled sacrifice, and the timeless echo of righteous courage.

In just 20 characters, the poem bridges past and present, transforming a personal farewell into a solemn tribute to unwavering principle.

于易水送人一绝
— 骆宾王

此地别燕丹，

壮士发冲冠。

昔时人已没，

今日水犹寒。