PASSING BY THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS

Wang Wan

Tang Dynasty

My boat goes by green mountains high

And passes through the river blue.

The banks seem wide at the full tide;

A sail with ease hangs in soft breeze.

The sun brings light born of last night;

New spring invades old year which fades.

Where can I send word to my end?

Homing wild geese, fly westward, please!

次北固山下

[唐]王湾

客路青山外,行舟绿水前。

潮平两岸阔,风正一帆悬。

海日生残夜,江春入旧年。

乡书何处达？归雁洛阳边。

About the poet 

Wang Wan was a Tang Dynasty (618-907) poet who was known for his unique writing style to capture the beauty of natural landscapes.

About the translator 

Xu Yuanchong (1921-2021) was born in Nanchang in East China's Jiangxi Province. He was a professor of literary translation at Peking University.

About the book 

300 Tang Poems Translated by Xu Yuanchong Published by China Intercontinental Press, Beijing, 2019