Li Bai (701–762), also known as Li Po, was a Chinese poet living during the Tang Dynasty.

 

闻王昌龄左迁龙标遥有此寄

杨花[1]落尽子规[2]啼,

闻道龙标[3]过五溪[4]。

我寄愁心与明月,

随风直到夜郎[5]西。

王昌龄因不拘细节,被贬黜到五溪之西的龙标(今天的湖南省怀化市沅陵县)。从他的诗句“一片冰心在玉壶”来看,对他的处分是太重的,因此李白写了这首诗寄给他。暮春时节,百花凋残,杨花落尽,加上子规悲啼“不如归去”,这时李白听到王昌龄贬官的消息,见景生情,分外凄凉。但是两人一东一西,同看到的只有春风明月,于是李白就把明月人格化,托它把自己的相思之情带去千里之外,梦乡之西了。这是一首融情景、叙事于一炉的名作。

注释:

[1]杨花:柳絮。

[2]子规:即杜鹃鸟,又称布谷鸟,相传其啼声哀婉凄切,甚至啼血。

[3]龙标:诗中指王昌龄,古人常用官职或任官之地的州县名来称呼一个人。

[4]五溪:是武溪、巫溪、酉溪、沅溪、辰溪的总称,在今湖南省西部。

[5]夜郎:唐代夜郎县,位于今湖南省怀化市沅陵县。

To Wang Changling Banished to the West

All willow-down has fallen and sad cuckoos cry

To hear you banished southwestward beyond Five Streams.

I would confide my sorrow to the moon on high

For it will follow you west of the Land of Dreams.[1]

注释:

[1]Present-day Guizhou Province.