Tang Dynasty
送杜少府之任蜀州
城阙辅三秦，风烟望五津。
与君离别意，同是宦游人。
海内存知己，天涯若比邻。
无为在歧路，儿女共沾巾。
Translation
The imperial city stands guarded by the lands of Qin; through wind and mist I look toward the Five Ferries of Shu. As I part from you, I know this sorrow well, for both of us are officials wandering far from home. If a true friend remains within the four seas, then even the edge of the sky feels like a neighboring door. Do not linger at the fork in tears, like children wetting their kerchiefs in farewell.
Analysis
This poem is one of the most celebrated farewell poems of the Tang dynasty. It begins with a grand spatial contrast: the capital is guarded by the lands of Qin, while the destination in Shu lies beyond wind and mist. The friend’s journey is therefore not a small departure but a true separation across a vast world. The second couplet makes the farewell intimate. Wang Bo does not merely comfort his friend from the outside; he reminds him that both are officials traveling far from home. Their shared condition gives the poem emotional credibility. The famous line “If a true friend remains within the four seas, the edge of the sky feels like a neighboring door” transforms distance into moral closeness. The poem does not deny the pain of parting. Instead, it offers a broader understanding of friendship: true intimacy is not measured by physical nearness. The final couplet returns to the moment of farewell and rejects excessive weeping. This is not emotional coldness, but a young and dignified courage. The poem’s enduring power lies in its balance: it is tender, but not weak; sorrowful, but never narrow.
About the Author
Wang Bo was a major early Tang writer and one of the “Four Paragons of the Early Tang,” together with Yang Jiong, Lu Zhaolin, and Luo Binwang. A prodigy of exceptional talent, he helped move Chinese poetry and prose toward a more vigorous and expansive Tang style. His prose masterpiece “Preface to the Pavilion of Prince Teng” is widely admired, while “Seeing Du Shaofu Off to His Appointment in Shuzhou” remains one of the most famous farewell poems in Chinese literature. Though his life was brief, his literary influence was lasting.