创作背景：
This poem is believed to have been written by an anonymous author during Wei Yingwu's journey from Guangling (now Yangzhou, Jiangsu) back to Luoyang. Wei Yingwu had visited Guangling and had a close friend named Yuan Da (Da being his rank, as his given name is unknown), as referred to in the poem with the endearment "beloved". This suggests a deep emotional bond between the two. In 763 AD (the first year of the Guangde reign under Emperor Daizong), Wei was appointed as the magistrate of Luoyang. As he left Guangling by boat to take up his new position, he missed Yuan deeply and wrote this poem to him. The poem expresses melancholy and uncertainty about their future meetings; it compares fate to a boat on the waves, beyond anyone's control. This background sheds light on the personal emotions behind the poem's metaphorical language and contributes to the overall understanding of its themes.