Poetry: Don’t worry about not having any close friends on the road ahead. Who in the world doesn’t know you?
Source: "Farewell to Dong Da Er" by Gao Shi of the Tang Dynasty.
Original text: Thousands of miles of yellow clouds and white sun, and the north wind blows wild geese and snow. Don't worry, there will be no friends in the future. No one in the world will know you. Liu He fluttered and felt sorry for himself. He left Beijing and Luo for more than ten years. My husband is very poor and has no money for drinks when we meet today.
Translation: The setting sun at dusk turns the clouds thousands of miles away dark yellow; the north wind blows hard, the snow falls heavily, and the geese fly south. Don't worry about not having any close friends on the road ahead. Who in the world doesn't know you? Just like a bird with six fluttering feathers, it hurts and feels sorry for itself. It has been more than ten years since I left Jingluo. Who would be willing to live in poverty if a man is poor? We can't afford the wine money when we meet today. Extended information
Creative background: This farewell poem was written in the sixth year of Tianbao (747) by Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty. The object of farewell was the famous luther master Dong Tinglan. In the spring of that year, Fang Guan, the official minister, was demoted from the court, and his retainer Dong Tinglan also left Chang'an. In the winter of that year, Gao Shi and Dong Tinglan met in Suiyang (their former address is in the south of Shangqiu County, Henan Province today) and wrote "Two Poems of Farewell to Dong Da".
Judging from the content of the poems, these two works should be written as farewell works about the reunion between Gao Shi and Dong Da after a long separation. After a brief reunion, they went their separate ways. Moreover, both of them are in a difficult situation, and the intersection of poverty and poverty has its own deep emotions.
This poem is broad-minded, writing the old tune of parting and sweeping away the lingering sorrow and resentment. It is majestic and heroic, and can be compared with Wang Bo's "There are close friends in the sea, and the world is like a neighbor" ("Farewell to Du Shaofu in Shuchuan") situations comparable.
Reference: Baidu Encyclopedia-Bie Dong Da’s Two Poems