yún云yáng阳guǎn馆yǔ与hán韩shēn绅sù宿bié别

Sikong Shu had been apart from his old friend Han Shen for years. They happened to meet at an inn in Yunyang, spent one night there, and had to part again the next day, so he wrote this poem. Yunyang was around today's Jingyang in Shaanxi. One view says Han Shen was Han Shenqing, an uncle of Han Yu, but this is not certain. The exact year is also unknown.

司空曙和老朋友韩绅分别多年，在云阳的一家客馆里偶然相遇，住了一夜，第二天又要分手，于是写下这首诗。云阳在今天陕西泾阳一带。韩绅是谁，一说是韩愈的叔父韩绅卿，但并不确定。具体写作年份也不清楚。

Sikong Shu was a mid Tang poet, one of the "Ten Talents of the Dali Era". Dali was the reign name of Emperor Daizong, and these ten poets were famous at that time. His poems are often about parting and travel, with sincere feelings and plain words. This is his best-known work.

司空曙，字文明（一说字文初），中唐诗人，是“大历十才子”之一。“大历”是唐代宗的年号，这十位诗人当时很有名。他的诗多写离别和羁旅，感情真挚，语言朴素，这首就是他的代表作。

This poem shows a whole meeting and parting. The first two lines tell how long they were apart. Lines three and four describe the meeting, the most moving part. After so long, they can hardly believe it and think it is a dream. They ask each other's age because both have grown old and are hard to recognize. Many people have felt this. Lines five and six show the night: a lone lamp, cold rain, wet bamboo, night mist. It is bleak and quiet, like the sadness in their hearts. At the end, they must part again tomorrow, so tonight the wine is extra precious. They have only just met and must leave again, and joy and sorrow are mixed together.

这首诗写了一次相聚又分别的全过程。前两句写分别太久。第三、四句写见面，是全诗最动人的地方：好不容易见到了，反而不敢相信，以为是在做梦；互相问年龄，因为都老了，都不敢认了。这种感觉很多人都有过。第五、六句写夜景：孤灯、冷雨、湿竹、夜雾，一片冷清，就像两个人心里的伤感。最后说明天又要分别，所以今晚格外珍惜这杯酒。刚刚重逢又要离开，喜悦和悲伤交织在一起。