洛阳访才子,江岭作流人。
闻说梅花早,何如北地春。
In Loyang I tried to visit you sir,
To Chiangling though you were banished.
The plum I hear flowers earlier there,
But how could spring compare.
洛阳是唐朝的东都,位于汉代故城的西边,在孟浩然住宅以北约三百公里处。虽然孟浩然官职低微,但他在达官贵人中却颇有诗名。启程去洛阳前,孟浩然给好友袁拾遗去过信,但此行却访友不遇。拾遗的职责就是向皇上进行规谏,不料袁却被举报滥用权职而贬官至江陵。大庾岭是赣江流域与岭南的分界线。孟浩然给袁拾遗寄去此诗,表达他的失望和同情。在北方,梅花在农历新年时盛开,象征春日之始,而此时也是阖家团聚的日子。