Original text
"Guest Arrival"
Author: Du Fu
There is spring water in the south of the house and in the north, but I see a flock of gulls coming day by day. .
The flower path has never been swept by visitors, and the gate is now opened for you.
Panxiang City has far less flavor, and only old fermented grains are available in bottle and wine shops.
I am willing to drink with my neighbor and drink the remaining cup in isolation.
Notes
1. Ke Zhi: Ke Zhi refers to Cui Ming Mansion. Du Fu himself noted after the title: "I am happy to meet Cui Ming Mansion." Ming Mansion is a good name for the county magistrate.
2. She: the house where you live, refers to home. "Guiguzi·Benjing Yinfu": God returns to his home.
3. But see: only see. This sentence means that we rarely have friends with each other, and only gulls are willing to go on a blind date with him. All: all.
4. Fate: Because.
5. Flower path: a path full of flowers and plants. Pengmen: A doorway made of awning grass to show the simplicity of the house and to refer to a poor family.
6. 駧(sūn): also generally refers to cooked food and rice. "Zuo Zhuan: The Fifth Year of Zhaogong": "The food is accompanied by a tripod."
7. Shiyuan: far from the market.
8. Delicious food: a variety of delicious dishes. No side flavor means that the food is not rich.
9. Zun (zūn): an ancient wine container. Tang Dynasty Li Bai's "Traveling is Difficult": "Ten thousand golden bottles of sake are worth fighting for."
10. Old fermented grains (pēi): fermented grains, generally refers to wine. Old fermented grains, old wine from the next year.
11. Ken: I am asking the guest if I can allow it.
12. Call: call, greet. Take: particle.
13. Finish: finish drinking. Yu cup: the remaining wine.
Translation
Spring water filled the front and back of the house, which isolated my thatched cottage from the outside world. I could only see sand gulls flying in groups every day. The flower path in my courtyard has never been cleaned because of your arrival, and this wood door has just been opened for you today. This place is too far from the market, and I am in a poor family, so I cannot prepare any good meals for you, so I can only entertain you with this home-brewed old wine. If you are willing to invite the old man from your neighbor over for a drink or two, then I will call him across the fence!
Rhyme translation
The north and south of the thatched cottage were filled with spring water, and gulls were seen flying in groups every day.
I have never swept the flower path for guests, but this door has just been opened for you today.
Being too far from the city, there is no good food on the plate, and the family is very poor and can only entertain them with old wine.
If you are willing to invite your neighbor to have a drink with you, call him over the fence to drink the rest of the cup!
Creative background
This poem was written when the poet first entered Shu. After Du Fu went through many ups and downs, he finally ended his long wandering career and settled in Huanhua Creek in the western suburbs of Chengdu. A thatched cottage, temporarily settled down. The poet composed this poem when a guest came to visit him shortly after he settled down in a thatched cottage in Chengdu after a long period of separation. The first two sentences describe the scenery of the residence, which is beautiful and sparse, with mountains, rivers, gulls and birds in the company, showing a state of mind that is isolated from the world; the latter describes the joy of the guest's visit and sincere hospitality, calling the neighbors to drink together, showing the scene of the guest and the host. The unrestrained friendship between them and the poet's sincerity and kindness are vividly reflected on the page. The poem reveals a leisurely and tranquil mood, and the poem is cordial and homely.
According to Huang He's "Supplement to the History of Poetry of Huang Shiji Qianjia Annotated by Du Gongbu", this was written in the spring of 761 (the second year of the Yuan Dynasty) when Du Fu was fifty years old in a thatched cottage in Chengdu. This is a most emotional and chronicle poem, showing the poet's simple character and hospitable mood. The author's own note: "I am happy to have passed by Cui Mingfu". It can be seen that the "guest" in the title of the poem refers to Cui Mingfu. The specific circumstances are unknown. Du Fu's mother's surname is Cui. Some people believe that this guest may be a relative of his mother's surname. "Mingfu" is the honorific title given to county magistrates by the people of the Tang Dynasty. To "pass" means to visit or visit each other.
Commentary
This is a chronicle poem filled with a rich flavor of life, expressing the poet's sincere character and welcoming mood. The author's own note: "I am happy that Cui Mingfu has passed by", which briefly explains the meaning of the title.
"Mingfu" is the honorific title given to county magistrates by the people of the Tang Dynasty. To "pass" means to visit or visit each other.
There is spring water in the south and north of the house, but I can see a flock of gulls coming every day.
To the north and south of the thatched cottage, spring water flows, and gulls come in flocks every day. The first couplet depicts the tranquility of the thatched cottage environment and the beauty of the scenery, highlighting the season, location and environment. The word "Jiu" describes the scene of the spring river overflowing, giving people a sense of the vastness and vastness of the river. Owls are suspicious by nature and will not get close to people if they have any intentions. In the ancient writings, they are often the companions of hermits who are uncontested and have no intentions. Therefore, "a flock of gulls comes every day" not only points out the quietness of the environment, but also writes about the poet's sincerity and forgetfulness of the world; at the same time, it also explains: relatives and friends are scattered in the clouds, social interactions are indifferent, only a flock of gulls are seen, and no other visitors are seen, leisurely Yi's life is inevitably a bit monotonous and lonely. "She" refers to his home as She, which here refers to the thatched cottage by the Huanhua River in Chengdu. "Spring Water" refers to the Huanhua River flowing through the thatched cottage. For more appreciation of Tang poetry, please pay attention to the 300 Tang Poems column of "Xi Gutang Chinese Studies Network".
The flower path has never been swept by visitors, and now the gate is opened for you.
The courtyard path filled with flowers and plants has not been cleaned to welcome guests; the door made of woven straw has only been opened today because of your arrival. The couplet turns from the outside to the inside, from the outdoor scenery to the scene in the courtyard, leading to the "guest arrival". Using the tone of talking to the guests, it enhances the real sense of life and expresses the poet's welcome and sincerity in hospitality. The dialogues are quite ingenious. The flower path has never been swept by guests, but now it is swept by you. The gate has never been opened for guests, but now it is opened by you. The upper and lower meanings are full of each other. "Yuanke sweep" means cleaning for guests. The ancients often used sweeping to express welcome to guests. "Pengmen" means the door of a hut.
Panxiang City has far less flavor, and the bottle and wine shops are poor and only have old fermented grains.
Because I live in a remote place, far away from the market and with inconvenient transportation, I cannot buy more dishes and the banquet is not sumptuous. My family is poor and I haven't brewed any new wine, so I can only entertain you with old wine that is flimsy. The above fictitiously writes that guests are arriving, and the following turns to actual writing of "hospitality". The author abandons other plots and focuses on the life scenes that best show the affection between the guest and the host, and depicts them with great care. The host entertained me warmly and encouraged him to drink frequently, but because he was unable to do so and the food and wine were insufficient, he felt guilty. We seemed to hear the down-to-earth and homely words, and the words were filled with a harmonious atmosphere. "Panxi" means the dishes on the plate. "駧" originally refers to cooked food, but here it generally refers to vegetables. "Jianwei" means one kind of dish is called "wei", and two or more kinds of dishes are called "jiangwei". "Old fermented grains" refers to the old fermented wine made every year. "酅", unfiltered wine. The ancients liked to drink new wine, so the poet apologized for entertaining guests with old fermented wine.
Are you willing to drink with your neighbor? Call across the fence to drink up the rest of the cup.
Will the guest be willing to drink with the old man next door? If he is willing, I will call him over through the fence and drink the last few drinks together. The last couplet uses the wonderful detail of inviting neighbors to join in the fun, which is an unexpected twist of the pen. This reminds me of Tao Yuanming's "We greet each other more when we pass the door, and we have wine to drink." There is no need to invite in advance, and you can just come and have a drink at will. This is the natural joy that you can experience in honest and simple interpersonal relationships, abandoning hypocrisy and pretense.
Appreciation
This is a seven-character poem written by Du Fu after the completion of the thatched cottage in Chengdu. The poet composed this poem when a guest came to visit him shortly after he settled down in a thatched cottage in Chengdu after a long period of separation. The whole poem reveals the poet's sincere and tranquil feelings and hospitable mood.
The first couplet "There is spring water in the south of the house and in the north, but I see a flock of gulls coming every day." It starts with the outdoor scenery to indicate the time and place of the guest's visit and the author's state of mind on the eve of the visit. The word "Jiu" describes the scene of the spring river overflowing, giving people a sense of the vastness and vastness of the river. Owls are suspicious by nature and will not get close to people if they have any intentions. In the ancient writings, they are often the companions of hermits who are uncontested and have no intentions. Therefore, "a flock of gulls comes every day" not only points out the quietness of the environment, but also writes about the poet's sincerity and forgetfulness of the world; at the same time, it also explains: relatives and friends are scattered in the clouds, social interactions are indifferent, only a flock of gulls are seen, and no other visitors are seen, leisurely Yi's life is inevitably a bit monotonous and lonely. "She" refers to his home as She, which here refers to the thatched cottage by the Huanhua River in Chengdu. For more appreciation of Tang poetry, please pay attention to the 300 Tang Poems column of "Xi Gutang Chinese Studies Network".
In the couplet "The flower path has never been swept by visitors, the gate is now open for you", the poet turns his brushwork to the courtyard, leading to "the arrival of guests". The author adopts the tone of conversation with the guests, which enhances the real life experience of the conversation between the guests and the host. It says that the courtyard path full of flowers and plants has not been cleaned to welcome guests; the door made of woven straw has only been opened today because of your arrival, which shows the poet's welcome and sincerity in hospitality. The antithesis is quite ingenious: the flower path has never been swept by guests, but now it is swept by you; the gate has never been opened for guests, but now it is opened by you. The upper and lower meanings are full of each other. "Yuanke sweep" means cleaning for guests. The ancients often used sweeping to express welcome to guests. "Pengmen" means the door of a hut.
The neck couplet "Panxiang City is far from being delicious, and the bottle wine shop is poor and only old fermented grains". Because I live in a remote place, far away from the market, and the transportation is inconvenient, I can't buy more dishes and have a banquet. Not abundant. My family is poor and I haven't brewed any new wine, so I can only entertain you with old wine that is flimsy. The above fictitiously writes that guests are arriving, and the following turns to actual writing of "hospitality". The author abandons other plots and selects the life scenes that best show the friendship between the guest and the host. He paints them with heavy brushwork and thick ink. The host entertained me hospitably and frequently encouraged him to drink, but because he was unable to do so and the food and wine were not plentiful, he felt apologetic. We seem to hear the down-to-earth and friendly homely words, and the words are full of harmonious atmosphere. "Panxi" means the dishes on the plate. "駧" originally refers to cooked food, but here it generally refers to vegetables. "Jianwei" means one kind of dish is called "wei", and two or more kinds of dishes are called "jiangwei". "Old fermented grains" refers to the old fermented wine made every year. "酅", unfiltered wine. The ancients liked to drink new wine, so the poet apologized for entertaining guests with old fermented grains.
The last couplet "Are you willing to drink with your neighbor? Call across the fence to drink up the rest of the cup." The feeling of "the guest has arrived" seems to have been written here. If the joyful scene is described from the front, it will obviously be revealed. It is tasteless, but the poet cleverly ends with "I am willing to drink with my neighbor and call across the fence to get the remaining cups", pushing the atmosphere at the table to a more enthusiastic climax, shouting loudly, asking the neighbor to **. * Drinking together. This detailed description is very realistic. It can be imagined that the two friends become more and more excited and happy as they drink. In terms of writing, the last two sentences are really a twist. , don’t open your mind. Does the guest want to drink with the old man next door? If so, I will call him over through the fence and drink the last few cups together to entertain the neighbors. The wonderful details and unexpected changes in the writing remind people of Tao Yuanming's "We greet each other more when we pass the door, and we have wine to drink", which is what happens in honest and simple interpersonal relationships without any prior invitation. Appreciate the joy of nature that abandons hypocrisy and pretense.
This poem is natural and coherent, like talking about everyday things, depicting interesting life scenes such as daily life, daily conversations, and old friends. It is delicate and lifelike, showing a strong sense of life and human touch. This is a neat and smooth seven-rhyme poem. The poem begins with "Gulls" and ends with "Neighbor" to accompany the poem. , there is the joy of the sound of the empty valley; the last two couplets are about hospitality, showing the sincerity of the villagers. In terms of structure, the author takes into account the spatial order and the temporal order. From the perspective of space, from outside to inside, from large to small; In terms of time, it describes the whole process of welcoming and entertaining guests. The connection is natural and integrated. Liu Kezhuang's "Houcun Poetry" said: "This piece is like a play based on Yuan Bai style. ”
Introduction to the author
Du Fu (712-770), also known as Zimei, also known as Shaolingye Lao, also known as Du Lingye Lao, Duling Buyi, Han nationality, ancestral home in Xiangyang, Xiangzhou (now Xiangyang, Hubei), is generally believed to have been born in Gongxian (now Gongyi, Henan). His representative works include "Three Officials" ("Xin'an Officials", "Shihao Officials", and "Tongguan Officials") during the Tang Dynasty. , "Three Farewells" ("Farewell to the Newlyweds", "Farewell to the Elderly", "Farewell to the Homeless"), etc. He was the grandson of Du Shenyan, a poet in the early Tang Dynasty. During the reign of Emperor Suzong of the Tang Dynasty, he entered Sichuan and was recommended by his friend Yan Wu. He served as a staff officer in Jiannan Jiedu Prefecture and was a member of the Ministry of Education and Engineering, so later generations also called him Du Shiyi and Du Gongbu. Respected as the "Sage of Poetry".
Du Fu was a great realist poet and world cultural celebrity in the Tang Dynasty.
Du Fu and Li Bai are collectively known as "Li Du". In order to distinguish them from the other two poets Li Shangyin and Du Mu, who are "Little Li Du", Du Fu and Li Bai are also collectively known as "Big Li Du", and Du Fu is also often called "Old Du". Du Fu and Du Mu are distant relatives, and they are both descendants of Du Yu, the general who destroyed Sun Wu in the Jin Dynasty (Du Fu is the 20th grandson of Du Yu). In Du Fu's middle age, because of his melancholy poetic style and concern for the country and the people, Du Fu's poems were called "the history of poetry". Although Du Fu was not known to the world at that time, after later research, his works eventually had a profound impact on Chinese literature and Japanese literature. About 1,500 of his poems have been preserved, and the collection of his works is "Du Gongbu Collection". His influence on Chinese classical poetry was profound. He was called the "Sage of Poetry" by later generations and his poems were called "epics". For more appreciation of Tang poetry, please pay attention to the 300 Tang Poems column of "Xi Gutang Chinese Studies Network".
Du Fu’s poetry is famous for its ancient style and rhythmic poetry, with various styles. The four words "depressed and frustrated" accurately summarize the style of his own works, and the main style is melancholy. Du Fu lived during the historical period when the Tang Dynasty was transitioning from prosperity to decline. His poems mostly dealt with social unrest, political darkness, and people's suffering. His poems reflected the social contradictions and people's suffering at that time, so they were known as the "history of poetry." Du Fu was concerned about the country and the people, with noble personality and exquisite poetic skills. Du Fu wrote more than 1,500 poems in his life, many of which are famous poems that have been passed down through the ages, such as "Three Officials" and "Three Farewells", and there is "Du Gongbu Ji" handed down to the world; among them, "Three Officials" is "Shihao" Officials", "Xin'an Officials" and "Tongguan Officials", the "three farewells" are "Newlywed Farewell", "Homeless Farewell" and "Elderly Farewell". Du Fu's poems have the largest and most widespread circulation among Tang poems. He is one of the most outstanding poets in the Tang Dynasty and has a profound influence on later generations.
Jin Shengtan, a literary critic in the early Qing Dynasty, compared Du Fu's poems with Qu Yuan's "Li Sao", Zhuang Zhou's "Zhuangzi", Sima Qian's "Historical Records", Shi Naian's "Water Margin", Wang Shifu "The Romance of the West Chamber", collectively known as "The Book of Six Talents". In contemporary times, Du Fu's loyalty to the country and concern for the people have been reinterpreted as the meaning of nationalism and socialism, and he himself has been appreciated by modern researchers for using the "language of the people."
Du Fu is not only famous in China, but also famous overseas. In 1481, Korea translated Du's poems into Korean and called it "Explanation of Du's Poems and Proverbs". His influence on Japanese literature was relatively late, and until the seventeenth century he was as famous in Japan as he was in China. Du Fu had a particularly profound influence on Matsuo Basho. Du Fu is also the favorite writer of American writer Kenneth Rexroth.
English-Chinese comparison
A guest
Du Fu
There is spring water in the south and north of the house, but I see a flock of gulls coming day by day.
The flower path has never been swept by visitors, and now the gate is opened for you.
Panxiang City is far from the best of both worlds, and the bottle and wine shops are poor and only have old fermented grains.
I am willing to drink with my neighbor and call across the fence to finish the remaining cups.
A HEARTY WELCOME TO VICE-PREFECT CUI
Du Fu
North of me, south of me, spring is in flood,
Day after day I have seen only gulls....
My path is full of petals -- I have swept it for no others.
My thatch gate has been closed - - but opens now for you.
It's a long way to the market, I can offer you little --
Yet here in my cottage there is old wine for our cups.
Shall we summon my elderly neighbor to join us,
Call him through the fence, and pour the jar dry?