Living

The Poet Is Detained in a Nanking Wine-shop on the Eve of Starting on a Journey

by Li Po 701–762

Translated by Florence Ayscough and Amy Lowell (1921) · From Fir-Flower Tablets (1921)

Living

The wind blows. The inn is filled with the scent of willow-flowers.
In the wine-shops of Wu, women are pressing the wine. The sight invites customers to taste.
The young men and boys of Nanking have gathered to see me off;
I wish to start, but I do not, and we drink many, many horn cups to the bottom.
I beg them to look at the water flowing toward the East,
And when we separate to let their thoughts follow its example and run constantly in my direction.

MLA

Po, Li. “The Poet Is Detained in a Nanking Wine-shop on the Eve of Starting on a Journey.” Translated by Florence Ayscough and Amy Lowell. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/li-po/55/.

Chicago

Po, Li. “The Poet Is Detained in a Nanking Wine-shop on the Eve of Starting on a Journey.” Translated by Florence Ayscough and Amy Lowell. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/li-po/55/.

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