Written by
Du Fu |
Heaven water autumn cloud thin From west 10,000 li wind This morning good fine landscape Long rain not harm farming Full willow row little green Hill pear flower little red Reed pipe upstairs emit One goose into high sky The sky's water has fallen, and autumn clouds are thin, The western wind has blown ten thousand li. This morning's scene is good and fine, Long rain has not harmed the land. The row of willows begins to show green, The pear tree on the hill has little red flowers. A hujia pipe begins to play upstairs, One goose flies high into the sky.
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Written by
Du Fu |
Wind swift heaven high ape cry grief Islet clear sand white bird fly circle No edge fall tree rustle rustle down No end great river surge surge arrive 10,000 li sorrow autumn always be a guest 100 years many sickness alone climb platform Difficult suffering regret numerous white temples Frustrated now stop turbid drink cup Swift wind, heaven high, an ape's cry of grief, At the islet of clear white sand, birds circle round. Endlessly, trees shed leaves, rustling, rustling down, Without cease, the great river surges, surges on. Ten thousand miles in sorrowful autumn, always someone's guest, A hundred years full of sickness, I climb the terrace alone. Suffering troubles, I bitterly regret my whitening temples, Frustratingly I've had to abandon my cup of cloudy wine.
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Written by
Du Fu |
Wagons rumble rumble Hhorses whinny whinny Foot person bow arrow each at waist Father mother wife children go mutual see off Dust dust not see Xianyang bridge Pull clothes stamp foot bar way weep Weep sound directly up strike clouds clouds Road side passerby ask foot person Foot person only say mark down often Some from ten five north guard river Even until four ten west army fields Leave time village chief give bind head Return come head white go back garrison border Border post shed blood become sea water Warlike emperor expand border idea no end Gentleman not see Han homes hill east two hundred districts 1000 villages 10000 hamlets grow thorns trees Though be strong women hold hoe plough Seed grow dyked field not order Besides again Qin soldier withstand bitter fighting Be driven not different dogs and chickens Venerable elder though be ask Battle person dare state bitterness Even like this year winter Not stop pass west soldier District official urgent demand tax Tax tax way how pay True know produce males bad Contrast be produce females good Produce female still get married neighbour Produce male bury follow hundred grass Gentleman not see Qinghai edge Past come white skeleton no person gather New ghost vexed injustice old ghosts weep Heaven dark rain wet sound screech screech The wagons rumble and roll, The horses whinny and neigh, The conscripts each have bows and arrows at their waists. Their parents, wives and children run to see them off, So much dust's stirred up, it hides the Xianyang bridge. They pull clothes, stamp their feet and, weeping, bar the way, The weeping voices rise straight up and strike the clouds. A passer-by at the roadside asks a conscript why, The conscript answers only that drafting happens often. "At fifteen, many were sent north to guard the river, Even at forty, they had to till fields in the west. When we went away, the elders bound our heads, Returning with heads white, we're sent back off to the frontier. At the border posts, shed blood becomes a sea, The martial emperor's dream of expansion has no end. Have you not seen the two hundred districts east of the mountains, Where thorns and brambles grow in countless villages and hamlets? Although there are strong women to grasp the hoe and the plough, They grow some crops, but there's no order in the fields. What's more, we soldiers of Qin withstand the bitterest fighting, We're always driven onwards just like dogs and chickens. Although an elder can ask me this, How can a soldier dare to complain? Even in this winter time, Soldiers from west of the pass keep moving. The magistrate is eager for taxes, But how can we afford to pay? We know now having boys is bad, While having girls is for the best; Our girls can still be married to the neighbours, Our sons are merely buried amid the grass. Have you not seen on the border of Qinghai, The ancient bleached bones no man's gathered in? The new ghosts are angered by injustice, the old ghosts weep, Moistening rain falls from dark heaven on the voices' screeching."
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Written by
Du Fu |
Eight month autumn high wind angry howl Sweep off my house on three layers thatch Thatch fly across river sprinkle river beside High ones catch stick great forest top Low ones float turn sink pool hollow South village mob children bully me old without strength Bear able to face to steal be robbers Openly carry thatch into bamboo go Lips burnt mouth dry call not succeed Return come lean on cane self sigh Soon shortly wind calm cloud ink colour Autumn sky overcast direction dark black Cotton cover many years cold like iron Beloved children badly lie kick in split Bed bed room leak no dry place Dense rain like hemp not yet stop sever Self path lose disorder little sleep sleep Long night wet wet what cause throughout If get broad mansion 1000 10,000 rooms Great shelter world poor scholar together joy Wind rain not move peace like hills Oh when see before sudden see this house My hut alone broken suffer freeze to death and satisfied In the eighth month autumn's high winds angrily howl, And sweep three layers of thatch from off my house. The straw flies over the river, where it scatters, Some is caught and hangs high up in the treetops, Some floats down and sinks into the ditch. The urchins from the southern village bully me, weak as I am; They're cruel enough to rob me to my face, Openly, they carry the straw into the bamboo. My mouth and lips are dry from pointless calling, I lean again on my cane and heave a sigh. The wind soon calms, and the clouds turn the colour of ink; The autumn sky has turned completely black. My ancient cotton quilt is cold as iron, My darling children sleep badly, and kick it apart. The roof leaks over the bed- there's nowhere dry, The rain falls thick as hemp, and without end. Lost amid disorder, I hardly sleep, Wet through, how can I last the long nights! If I could get a mansion with a thousand, ten thousand rooms, A great shelter for all the world's scholars, together in joy, Solid as a mountain, the elements could not move it. Oh! If I could see this house before me, I'd happily freeze to death in my broken hut!
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Written by
Du Fu |
Fu (this) duke old guest Finish wine drunk sing open gold halberd Ride horse suddenly remember youth time Scatter hoof pour fall Qutang stone Baidicheng gate water cloud outside Lower body straight down eight thousand feet Whitewashed battlements lightning pass purple loose reins East gain level ridge out heaven cliff River village country hall fight enter eye Hang whip droop bridle approach purple road Always hoary head startle 10,000 people Self count on red face ability ride shoot How know burst chest chase wind foot Red sweat chariot horse black horse like spurt jade Not expect one stumble end injure Human life happy much that shame Must now sad lie quilt pillow Situation now late dusk increase bother demand Well know come ask hide my face Stick pigweed strong rise lean servant Speech end still manage open mouth smile Guide support go sweep clear stream bend Wine meat like mountain again one time Start feast sad silk move brave bamboo Together point west sun not together lend Noisy sigh then tip cup in filtered Why must hurry horse come to ask You not know Xi Kang life nourish meet kill I, Du Fu, the duke's elderly guest, Finished my wine, drunkenly sang, and waved a golden halberd. I mounted my horse and suddenly remembered the days of my youth, The flying hooves sent stones pouring down into Qutang gorge. Baidicheng's city gates are beyond the water's clouds, Bending over, I plunged straight down eight thousand feet. Whitewashed battlements passed like lightning, the purple reins were loose, Then east, I reached the level ridge, out past heaven's cliff. River villages and country halls vied to enter my eyes, The whip hung down, the bridle drooped, I reached the crimson road. All the ten thousand people amazed by my silver head, I trusted to the riding and shooting skills of my rosy-cheeked youth. How could I know that bursting its chest, hooves chasing the wind, That racing horse, red with sweat, breathing spurts of jade, Would unexpectedly take a tumble and end up injuring me? In human life, taking pleasure often leads to shame. That's why I'm feeling sad, lying on quilts and pillows, Being in the sunset of my life only adds to the bother. When I knew you'd come to visit, I wanted to hide my face, With a bramble stick I manage to rise, leaning on a servant. Then, after we've finished talking, we open our mouths and laugh, Giving me support, you help to sweep by the clear stream's bend. Wine and meat are piled up like mountains once again, The feast starts: sad strings and brave bamboo sound out. Together, we point to the western sun, not to be granted us long, Noise and exclamations, then we tip the cup of clear wine. Why did you have to hurry your horses, coming to ask after me? Don't you remember Xi Kang, who nourished life and got killed?
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Written by
Du Fu |
Qutang gorge mouth bend river bank 10,000 li wind mist join pale autumn Calyx secret wall through imperial energy Lotus little park enter border sorrow Pearl curtain embroider pillar surround yellow crane Brocade hawser ivory mast rise white gull Turn head can regret sing dance place Qin middle from old emperor place The mouth of the Qutang Gorge, the bank of the Bending River, Ten thousand miles of wind and mist join them in pale autumn. Through Calyx Hall's hidden passage the imperial aura passed, Now the little Lotus Park is filled with border sorrows. Pearls on curtains, embroidery on pillars, around the yellow cranes, From brocade hawsers and ivory masts rise the white gulls. I turn my head, sad now for the place of song and dance, Qin has been since olden days the land of emperors.
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Written by
Du Fu |
Kong ming temple before be old cypress Branch like green bronze root like stone Frost bark slippery rain 40 spans Black colour meet sky 2000 feet Emperor and minister already with time end meet Tree tree still be man devotion Cloud come air meet Wu gorge long Moon out cold with snow mountain white Remember old road wind brocade pavilion east Former master war lord together hidden temple Towering branch trunk open country ancient Secluded red black door window empty Spread wide coil entrenched although get earth Dark far lofty many violent wind Give support naturally divine strength Upright reason creator skill Big hall if upset want rafter beam 10,000 oxen turn head mountain weight Not reveal hidden meaning world already amazed Without evade cut down who can send Bitter heart how avoid contain mole crickets ants Fragrant leaves all through reside phoenix Aim scholar secluded person not resent sigh Always timber big hard to use Before Kongming's shrine stands an ancient cypress, Its branches are like green bronze, its roots just like stone. The frosted bark, slippery with rain, is forty spans around, Its blackness blends into the sky two thousand feet above. Master and servant have each already reached their time's end, The tree, however, still remains, receiving men's devotion. Clouds come and bring the air of Wuxia gorge's vastness, The moon comes out, along with the cold of snowy mountain whiteness. I think back to the winding road, east of Brocade Pavilion, Where the military master and his lord of old share a hidden temple. Towering that trunk, those branches, on the ancient plain, Hidden paintings, red and black, doors and windows empty. Spreading wide, coiling down, though it holds the earth, In the dim and distant heights are many violent winds. That which gives it its support must be heaven's strength, The reason for its uprightness, the creator's skill. If a great hall should teeter, wanting rafters and beams, Ten thousand oxen would turn their heads towards its mountain's weight. Its potential unrevealed, the world's already amazed, Nothing would stop it being felled, but what man could handle it? Its bitter heart cannot avoid the entry of the ants, Its fragrant leaves have always given shelter to the phoenix. Ambitious scholars, reclusive hermits- neither needs to sigh; Always it's the greatest timber that's hardest to put to use.
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Written by
Du Fu |
Flowers hide palace wall dusk Chirp chirp perch bird go Star overlook 10,000 door move Moon near nine heavens more Not rest hear gold key Because wind feel jade bridle pendant Tomorrow morning have letter business Count ask night like what Flowers in shadow, palace wall at dusk, Chirping birds are flying back to roost. Stars move above the ten thousand doors; The moon is big nearing the nine heavens. Not sleeping, I hear a golden key; In the wind, I think there are jade pendants. Tomorrow morning, I have to present a memorial, Again and again, I ask about the night.
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Written by
Du Fu |
West mountains white snow three city fort South bank clear river 10000 li bridge World wind world all brother part Sky limit tears tears one body far Only will past my prime offering much sick Not have stream dust repay emperor Astride horse beyond suburbs at times extreme gaze Not bear human affairs day desolate White snow lies on the western hills by the three walled cities, To the south, from the clear river's bank, stretches the thousand li bridge. In this world of war and confusion, I'm cut off from my brothers, Standing alone at the end of the sky, I weep for distant places. Past my prime, all I have to offer is this sick body, I have no trickle or mote of strength with which to repay the emperor. On my horse, outwith the city, at times I gaze afar, I cannot bear our condition, which daily grows more desolate.
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