Farewell Soochow

木瀆 Mu Du, 姑蘇 Gu Su Capital  「別蘇州」白居易 　　浩浩姑蘇民，郁郁長洲城。來慚荷寵命，去愧無能名。 　　青紫行將吏，班白列黎氓。一時臨水拜，十里隨舟行。 　　餞筵猶未收，征棹不可停。稍隔煙樹色，尚聞絲竹聲。 　　悵望武丘路，沉吟滸水亭。還鄉信有興，去郡能無情。 Bai Ju Yi can't forget that the Soochow people love him and lined up on the road to say goodbye when he left Soochow to return back to Henan Province, where he spent his last decades in retirement on Xiang Shan, Fragrance Mountain. Farewell Soochow Written by Bai Ju Yi and translated by Elizabeth Su Vast Gu Su people The long oasis delta city is sad When I came here to be favored by Lily But gone will be me with not a grand name Green and purple dressed the officials' lines Where the commoners are without loud coloring but white masses They came to the waterfront to pay their thankful tokens and tribute 10 miles they went to escort me along to near my boat The banquet is not yet taken away But the oars can't be stopped Shielded by the smoky trees I can still hear the silk bamboo instruments I linger to watch the Wu Qiu road Lowering my tone to recite Xu Water Pavilion Returning back to my hometown is the exciting inviting letter How can I have no emotion when I leave this Su county.