Wang Wei: Departure Send Off

送别

下马饮君酒
问君何所之？

君言不得意
归卧南山陲。

但去莫复问
白云无尽时。

Song Bie

Xia ma yin jun jiu
Wen jun he suo zhi?

Jun yan bu de yi
Gui wo nan shan chui

Dan qu mo fu wen
Bai yun wu jin shi.

Departure Send Off

Dismount my horse, we drink wine together
I ask you, where are you going?

You reply, to a place without pride or success
Return to the edge of the Southern Mountains and live in seclusion.

Just go, and don’t ask again about anything
The white clouds there are eternal.

Notes:

Southern Mountains and live in seclusion: This section refers to a very famous poem, Drinking Wine No. 5 by Tao Yuanming. This poem was my first one posted on this site.

White clouds: Literally means something that is free and transitory. Metaphorically means a state of mind that is free and transitory.