Tang Dynasty
送元二使安西
渭城朝雨浥轻尘，
客舍青青柳色新。
劝君更尽一杯酒，
西出阳关无故人。
Translation
Morning rain in Weicheng has dampened the light dust; by the travelers’ inn, the willows are fresh and green. I urge you to finish one more cup of wine, for once you go west beyond Yang Pass, there will be no old friends.
Analysis
“Seeing Yuan Er Off on His Mission to Anxi” is one of the most celebrated farewell poems of the Tang dynasty and later became associated with the song “Yangguan Sandie.” The opening couplet presents a gentle morning scene: rain has settled the dust, and the willows by the inn are freshly green. Yet willows in Chinese poetry often carry associations of parting, so the beauty of the scene is already touched by farewell. The final couplet compresses the full emotion into a single gesture: one more cup of wine. Beyond Yang Pass lies the distant western frontier, where old friends will be hard to find. Wang Wei’s restraint gives the poem its enduring force; the sorrow of parting is expressed through courtesy, landscape, and a cup raised at the roadside.
About the Author
Wang Wei was a major High Tang poet, painter, and musician. His poetry is admired for its quiet imagery, elegant structure, and ability to merge landscape with emotion. In his farewell poems, he rarely relies on overt lament; instead, he uses setting, gesture, and silence to convey feeling. “Seeing Yuan Er Off on His Mission to Anxi” is one of the finest examples of this art, turning morning rain, green willows, and one last cup of wine into a deeply moving farewell.