The Jade Mountain/A Farewell to Wêi Wan Bound for the Capital

by Li Qi

Li Ch'i

頎　李

A FAREWELL TO WÊI WAN
BOUND FOR THE CAPITAL

The travellers' parting-song sounds in the dawn.Last night a first frost came over the river;And the crying of the wildgeese grieves my sad heartBounded by a gloom of cloudy mountains. . . .Herein the Gate City, day will flush coldAnd washing-flails quicken by the gardens at twiloght——How long shall the capital content you,Where the months and the years so vainly go by?

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