On the surface, I seem to be glad of new people; But doomed to leave old friends behind me, I cry out from my heart for Shin-Fêng wine To melt away my thousand woes.

Li Shangyin
About This Quote

I seem to be glad of new people;But doomed to leave old friends behind me,I cry out from my heart for Shin-Fêng wineTo melt away my thousand woes. This is a poem of the Tang Dynasty of China, written by Li Bai. It is very sad because the writer feels so lonely when he sees his old friends pass on. He thinks that if he were able to have some Shin-Fêng wine, he would be able to feel some happiness among his old friends.

The word Shin-Fêng refers to a rice wine that is made from barley malt and rice. The "wine" part of the word is borrowed from Japanese, while "fung" means "malt". The Shin-Fêng is made in the Zhènjiāng area of Fujian province, while the song references Li's native personal name "Li."

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  1. On the surface, I seem to be glad of new people; But doomed to leave old friends behind me, I cry out from my heart for Shin-Fêng wine To melt away my thousand woes.
  2. Heart’s fragrance is spent with the ending of spring And nothing left but a tear-stained robe.
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