Seeing Meng Haoran Off at Yellow Crane Tower
Li Bai · Tang
An old friend bids farewell to the west at Yellow Crane Tower
In the mist and flowers of the third month, he goes down to Yangzhou
The lonely sail's distant shadow vanishes into the blue void
Only seeing the Yangtze River flowing to the horizon
Listen to Poem
Audio not available in this browser
⚠️ Your browser doesn't support text-to-speech. Try Chrome, Safari, or Edge for audio functionality.
An old friend bids farewell to the west at Yellow Crane Tower, In the mist and flowers of the third month, he goes down to Yangzhou. The lonely sail's distant shadow vanishes into the blue void, Only seeing the Yangtze River flowing to the horizon.
My old friend leaves Yellow Crane Tower in the west, Through misty blooms of March, descends to Yangzhou. His lone sail fades to a distant speck in azure sky, I watch the Yangtze flowing endlessly away.
This poem is one of Li Bai's most celebrated works about friendship and parting. Yellow Crane Tower was a famous landmark for farewells in ancient China. The poem captures both the beauty of the natural scenery and the melancholy of separation. The image of the river flowing endlessly has become a classic symbol of both the passage of time and the permanence of true friendship.
Cultural Symbols: