Selected Poems of Du Fu, Ye Lao Du Fu Series: Selected Poems of Du Fu | Collection of Poems of Du Fu, Selected Poems of Du Fu, Ye Lao
Original text Ye Lao is on the edge of the river bank 1, Chaimen is not straight and opens by the river. The fishermen's nets are gathered under the pond, and the passenger ship comes back with photos2. The long road cares about the Beijiang Pavilion 3, why does the cloud mean to be near the Qintai 4? The king's army did not report to the east county, so Qiu Sheng painted a horn in mourning at the city gate.
Notes 1 Ye Lao: Du Fu calls himself. This sentence refers to the winding river bank and the bamboo fence thatched cottage. At this time, the poet was walking and admiring the riverside in front of the thatched cottage. 2Chengtan: refers to Baihuatan, which is the water area south of the thatched cottage. These two sentences mean that in the clear green Baihua Lake over there, the fishermen are happily fishing with nets. Perhaps because the river is meandering, it is suitable for boats to dock. The merchant ships are also reflecting the sunset, and they are docking here one after another. Ashore. 3 This sentence means that I want to return to Qinzhou. The journey is extremely long, and what I care about most now is Jiange, because Jiange has the most dangerous terrain and is often occupied by rebels, so I feel sad. It's a long road, and you can get on the "passenger ship". The passenger ship coming from afar disturbed his calm state of mind and reminded him of the long journey. 4 This sentence refers to my wandering body like a floating cloud. Why do I stay in Shu? Pian Yun: refers to Gu Yun, which is used to describe the scene, but also to metaphor oneself. What does it mean? What's the matter? Qintai: A scenic spot in Chengdu. According to legend, it was the place where Sima Xiangru and Zhuo Wenjun sold wine. It is located in the north of Huanhua River. This place refers to Chengdu. 5 These two lines of poem lament that Luoyang has not been recovered since it fell again last year, and Tibet is eyeing it again in the northwest. The crisis of war is also lurking in Sichuan. It is so sad and desolate to hear the sound of the horn drawn from the city wall of Chengdu in the bleak autumn wind. Receiving Dongjun refers to Tian Shenggong defeating Shi Siming in Zhengzhou in June of the first year of the Yuan Dynasty (760), but Tokyo and other counties were still not recovered. Chengque, here refers to Chengdu. In the second year of Zhide (757), Chengdu Prefecture was promoted to Nanjing, so it was called "Chengque". Painting horns: ancient military music, five feet long, shaped like a bamboo tube, with colorful paintings, so it is called "painting horns". Its sound is mournful and high-pitched, and it is played in the army to warn of dusk.
Translation The bamboo fence of my house loops along the river bank, and the firewood gate is not straight and opens towards the river. Fishermen cast nets in the clear blue lake to catch fish, and merchant ships moved closer to the river bank against the sunset. Jianmen is lost and the road is blocked, which is worrying. Why should I stay in Chengdu like a floating cloud? The imperial army had not yet recaptured Luoyang, the eastern capital, and the bleak autumn wind brought the wail of the horns, which made me suddenly sad.
Appreciation In the first year of the Yuan Dynasty (760), Du Fu finally settled down in a thatched cottage in the western suburbs of Chengdu. However, the turmoil of the situation and the suffering of the people prevented the poet who was concerned about the country and the people from truly calming down. So the poet wrote this poem to express his concern for the fate of the country. The first four sentences describe the scenery of the thatched cottage and the river. The word "wild old man" at the beginning is the poet's self-proclaimed name, which contains a sense of self-deprecation. At this time, the poet was walking by the river in front of the thatched cottage. He saw his bamboo fence bending and looping along the river bank, the low firewood gate opening towards the river, fishermen casting nets in the clear blue pool, and merchant ships reflected in the sunset. When I landed on the shore, my heart was filled with tranquility and joy. But after a while, another emotion came into his heart. The "Long Road" carries the "Jia Passenger Ship" and the connection is natural. This "long road" leads the poet's thoughts to places he is familiar with and nostalgic for. He wants to go north to Chang'an and east to Luoyang to return to his hometown and visit relatives and friends. However, the Jianmen was lost and the way back was cut off. In the midst of extreme confusion and pain, the poet looked up and saw white clouds, and couldn't help but ask: "Why are the clouds near Qintai?" "Qintai" refers to Chengdu, where the poet currently lives. This question expresses the poet's pain of living abroad and having no way to serve his country, as well as his confused state of mind at a loss. The last couplet expresses the poet's sad feelings. The poet lamented that after the fall of Luoyang, the eastern capital, the situation in the world was turbulent, and even the remote Shuzhong also lurked the crisis of war. Therefore, when he heard the wail of painted horns coming from the city wall of Chengdu in the autumn wind, he suddenly felt sad and desolate. The whole poem ends with this, leaving an endless aftertaste.