浪淘沙
Washing Sand in the Waves
Original
九曲黄河万里沙，
浪淘风簸自天涯。
如今直上银河去，
同到牵牛织女家。
Translation
The Yellow River twists for ten thousand li, bearing endless sand,
Tossed by waves and winds, it comes from the edge of the sky.
Now I'll sail straight up to the Silver River,
To reach the home of the Cowherd and Weaver Maid.
Line by Line Analysis
About This Poem
This poem, a standout in Liu Yuxi’s 'Washing Sand in the Waves' series, presents a majestic, imaginative portrayal of the Yellow River. Crafted during his long exile, it rejects the despair common among banished scholars, instead radiating unyielding optimism. The poet vividly depicts the river winding through thousands of miles, carrying endless sand and surging from the distant horizon. He then blends reality with ancient mythology, declaring his desire to sail up to the Milky Way and visit the abode of the Cowherd and Weaver Maid. Beyond celebrating the river’s raw power, the poem symbolizes the poet’s pursuit of freedom and lofty ideals, turning a natural landscape into an expression of resilient spirit.
About the Poet
刘禹锡
Liú Yǔxī
Liu Yuxi (772–842) was a distinguished poet and essayist of the Mid-Tang Dynasty. He was a core participant in the Yongzhen Reform, a political movement targeting corruption and imperial power enhancement. After the reform’s collapse, he suffered decades of exile. Renowned for his bold, unyielding poetic style, he often employed metaphors and allusions to express his ideals. He shared the epithet 'Liu-Liu' with Liu Zongyuan and 'Liu-Bai' with Bai Juyi, leaving an indelible mark on classical Chinese literature.
Cultural & Historical Context
Historical Background: This poem was written in the Mid-Tang Dynasty (772–842), an era marked by declining imperial authority, regional warlord separatism, and eunuch autocracy. Liu Yuxi was a key figure in the 805 Yongzhen Reform, a failed attempt to reform the corrupt political system, which resulted in his decades-long exile to remote southern regions. Cultural Background: 'Washing Sand in the Waves' originated as a folk melody in the Tang court’s imperial music bureau, later evolving into a popular poetic form. The Cowherd and Weaver Maid myth, deeply rooted in Chinese astronomy and folklore, represents longing for freedom and spiritual connection. Social Background: Exiled literati of the time often faced isolation and despair, but Liu refused to be broken, using poetry to voice his unbowed resilience. Personal Experience: When composing this poem, Liu had endured years of exile in harsh, isolated areas, yet he maintained his optimistic and defiant outlook. Artistically, the poem uses bold hyperbole to magnify the Yellow River’s grandeur, merges natural scenery with mythological elements to create a surreal, lofty realm, and adopts a vigorous, unrestrained tone. Its core purpose is to convey the poet’s unyielding will and romantic idealism, transcending the bitterness of exile through imaginative elevation of the natural world.