Wei_City

My comments on "Wei City" by Wang Wei

Distinctly chilly! These were times of perpetual border wars and unstable frontiers.
Friendship and fellowship have to be valued, because not far from here,
you don�t know whether you can trust people or not. Life is uncertain there.

Best to enjoy civilisation while you can! The morning rain, the dust dampening,
the green willows, another cup of wine. It is all seductive.
You want to cling on to basic comforts.

Up there, you are on your own in the bleakness of the mountains
and the remote lands beyond.

Merv Daw

Other comments:

The poem is describing the farewell
when Wang Wei's Friend Yuen-er must serve as an envoy to Xi-an,
and Wang Wei is seeing Yuen-er off in Wei City.
The first two sentences of this poem are the description of the view
and the weather of Wei City. The last two sentences
are the advice given by Wang Wei just before Yuen-er's parting.
Although this poem is simple,
it presents the unaffected friendship between Wang Wei and Yuen-er.
It also shows Wang Wei's reluctance to say farewell.
In short, I think this poem is very good,
and it is easy for us to read and to understand.
Kennis Yau

This expressive poem states the important of friendship.
"I urge you to drink another cup of wine."
This sentence has a strong feeling,
and clearly expresses that he didn't want his friend to go away from him.
People in modern times are fortunate;
we can chat with our friends easily although we may be separated from them by distance.
Anyway, friendship is very important for us.
If you have good friends, please value them, and don't let them go away from you (if you can).
If this is impossible, you can try your best to preserve the relationship as well as before.
Amanda Lee

For your convenience, the poem is presented again below.

Window on Chinese Poetry

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"Wei City Song" by Wang Wei

Wei City morning rain
dampens the light dust.

By this inn green,
newly green willows.

I urge you to drink
another cup of wine;

west of Yang Pass
there are no old friends.

Adapted from a translation by Mike O'Connor