Blue mountains to the north of the walls,
White river winding about them;
Here we must make separation
And go out through a thousand miles of dead grass.

Mind like a floating wide cloud,
Sunset like the parting of old acquaintances
Who bow over their clasped hands at a distance.
Our horses neigh to each others
as we are departing.

Analysis, meaning and summary of Ezra Pound's poem Taking Leave of a Friend

2 Comments

  1. Michelle says:

    corny, cheesy, and hokey are good english translations i think. but those are all very colloquial.

  2. judith says:

    Sometimes Pound is somewhat “weird”(?), but this one is just, well, nice & sad, kind of “scenic”, almost kitschig (don’t know the english word, sorry!), but what it has to say, prevents it from being kitschig. I like it.

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