It expresses the author's longing for his distant friend and his deep sympathy for his being demoted.
"I heard that Wang Changling moved to the left and Long Biaoyuan sent this message" is a poem composed by the great poet Li Bai of the Tang Dynasty.
Original text: When all the poplar flowers have fallen, Zigui cries, and I hear the dragon marking the way across the Five Streams. I send my sorrowful heart to the bright moon and follow you till the end of the night.
Translation: When the poplar flowers have fallen and Zigui crows, I heard that you have been demoted to the rank of Longbiao Lieutenant. Longbiao is a remote place that passes through Wuxi. I put my sad thoughts on Mingyue, hoping to accompany you to the west of Yelang.
This is a short lyrical chapter of just four sentences, but the emotional weight is quite heavy. At the beginning, it selects two things with local characteristics to depict the late spring scene in southern China and create a sad and melancholy atmosphere. Poplars are catkins. Zigui is the alias of the cuckoo bird. According to legend, this bird is the spirit of Du Yu, King of Shu, and its song is extremely sad and moving. The dragon mark here refers to Wang Changling. It has been a trend among literati since the Tang Dynasty to use the official name as a title. Extended information
Creative background: This poem is said to have been written in the eighth year of Emperor Xuanzong's Tianbao reign (749), and in another version to have been written in the twelfth year of Emperor Xuanzong's Tianbao reign (753). At that time, Wang Changling was demoted from Jiangning Cheng to Lieutenant of Longbiao County (now Qianyang County, Huaihua, Hunan). Li Bai wrote this poem after hearing that his friend was demoted in Yangzhou.
The first sentence of this poem uses a metaphorical technique to describe the scene and the season, exaggerating the desolate and sad atmosphere. The wandering Yang Hua alone in the scenery, and the words "It's better to go back" contained the feeling of wandering and the hatred of parting. It was in line with the situation at that time and blended into the scene.
Since the first sentence has seen the emotion in the scene, the second sentence directly narrates the incident and points out the origin of the sorrow. "Wen Dao" means surprise and pity. "Crossing the Five Streams", I saw that the desolate place of relegation was far away and the road was difficult. There are no words of sorrow, but the meaning of sorrow is obvious.
Reference: Baidu Encyclopedia - I heard that Wang Changling moved to the left and Long Biaoyuan sent this message