Selections of Du Fu's Poems: Rows of Ancient Cypresses Du Fu Series: Selected Poems of Du Fu|Selected Poems of Du Fu: Rows of Ancient Cypresses
Original text There are old cypresses in front of Kongming Temple 1, with branches as thick as bronze and roots as stone 2. The frost-skinned rain is forty around 3, and the dark color towers two thousand feet into the sky. The king and his ministers have met with the times, and the trees are still cherished by others. 4. When the clouds come and the air comes, the Wu Gorge is long, and when the moon rises, it is cold and the snow-capped mountains are white. I recall that yesterday I walked around the east side of Jinting Pavilion, where the former Lord Wuhou and Meng Gong were together. Cui Wei's branches are ancient in the suburbs, and the elegant and beautiful houses are in the sky. Even though he has gained the ground, he is so lonely and solitary that there are strong winds9. Support is the power of gods, and the upright cause of creation is ten. The building is like a leaning beam, and thousands of cows are looking back at the mountains. The world is shocked if you don't reveal your articles, and who can send them to you if you don't say anything? The painstaking efforts will inevitably lead to ants, and the fragrant leaves will eventually pass through Luan Feng. People with lofty ideals should not complain. Ancient materials are hard to use.
Notes 1 Kongming Temple: This refers to the Kongming Temple in Kuizhou. 2 Ke: Branch. Bronze: Describes its green color and stiff texture. 3 Frost skin: Old skin that has experienced frost, describing the pale skin color. Liuyu: describes the smoothness of the skin. Forty circumference: Forty people hug each other, describing it as thick. 4 This sentence means that Liu Bei and Kong Ming met at the right time in their lives, and they had merit for the people. Therefore, the people did not cut them down, and the cypress trees grew so tall. The height of the cypress tree refers to Kong Ming's legacy. Jihui: that is, meeting together. 5. In the sentence "Yunlai", Wu Gorge is located in the east of Kuizhou and is famous for its clouds and rain. This refers to the connection between the branches of ancient cypresses in Kuizhou and the clouds and atmosphere in Wu Gorge. In the sentence "Moonrise", the snow-capped mountains are to the west of Kuizhou, and the snow does not melt. This refers to the ancient cypresses of Kuizhou receiving the moonlight, and their white color contrasts with the white of the snow-capped mountains. 6 Recalling yesterday: Du Fu only left Chengdu last year, so he said "recalling yesterday". Jinting: refers to the thatched cottage where Du Fu lived in Chengdu. Because it is close to Jinjiang River and has a pavilion in the middle, it is called "Jinting". 7 Menggong: refers to the ancestral temple. Stuffy: Deeply closed. Palace: temple. Chengdu Zhaolie (Liu Bei) Temple and Wuhou Temple are connected together, so they are said to be "the same temple". 8 Cui Wei: Describes tallness and refers to the ancient cypress in front of Wuhou Temple in Chengdu. Graceful: Describes the depth of a house. Danqing: refers to the paintings and decorations in the temple. The house is empty: refers to the emptiness of the palace. 9 Luoluo: Refers to the tall and straight trees. Gain the land: The power to occupy the terrain. Mingming: dark appearance. These two sentences mean that the ancient cypress is entrenched in the high mountains and is not broken by strong winds. It seems to be protected by gods, so it is called "divine power". The uprightness of the cypress is the result of creation, so it is said to be "the merit of creation". The previous sentence means that the country is in crisis and needs talents. The next sentence says that ancient cypresses are as heavy as hills, and ten thousand cows look back because they cannot drag them, implying that it is difficult to appoint talented people. Don't reveal the article: Gu Bai is simple and doesn't know how to show off, so he said this. The ancient cypress itself is cut down without hesitation, and it can be used as a pillar to support thousands of temples, but who will give it away? Painful: The ancient cypress is hard-working and is still eaten by ants, so it is said to be "painful". Cypress leaves are fragrant and are loved by Luan and Phoenix, so they are called "fragrance leaves". Since ancient times, it has been said that "big materials are difficult to use". It seems to be saying that people with lofty ideals and people who live in seclusion should not be resentful. In fact, it expresses a deeper resentment in forcing oneself to forgive.
Translation There is an old cypress tree in front of Kongming Temple. The trunk is like bronze and the roots are like rock. The bark of the tree is light and white and has a thickness of forty circumferences, and the crown of the tree is black and reaches a height of two thousand feet. A wise king and a good minister met at the right time and made great achievements together, and the trees are still cherished by future generations. The white clouds float and the cypress trees bring the majestic air to the Wu Gorge. The bright moon rises and the cypress trees bring the cold air to the snow-capped mountains. In the past, I passed by Jinting East in Chengdu, where the Former Emperor's Temple and Wuhou Temple were in the same palace. Cuiwei branches stand in the ancient suburbs, and the deep and painted temples in the temple are empty. The tiger sitting on the dragon's plate is deeply rooted in the earth, looking proudly at the sky and facing the heavy rain and wind. Strength is due to the support of gods, and integrity is due to the work of nature. A building that is about to collapse requires the talents of its pillars, and a tree as heavy as a mountain cannot be pulled by ten thousand oxen. His literary talent has shocked the world. Who can transport it away if he is not afraid of cutting it down? The heart of the ancient cypress is suffering and protected from the harm of ants, and the fragrance of the cypress leaves once attracted the luan and the phoenix to stay. People with lofty ideals and benevolence, please don't complain. Since ancient times, people with great talent have struggled to be put to good use.
Appreciation This poem is in Bixing style. The poet praises the ancient cypresses that have withstood the weather and stood tall in the cold sky to praise the talented and loyal Kong Ming. Every sentence chants about ancient cypresses, and every sound praises Marquis Wu. The ancient cypress is described as ancient to stimulate the relationship between the monarch and his ministers. The old cypress is solitary and tall as a metaphor for the loyalty of Marquis Wu. The first six lines of the poem are the first paragraph, which uses the rise of ancient cypresses to praise their tallness and the gathering of monarchs and ministers. The ten sentences "Yunlai" are the second paragraph, which refers to the ancient cypresses in Kuizhou and the ancient cypresses in the Xianzhu Temple in Chengdu. Among them, the two sentences "Luoluo" describe both trees and people, and the harmony between trees and people. The eight-sentence "Building" is the third paragraph, which expresses great feelings about things and people. The last sentence is a pun, expressing the poet's resentment that his ambitions are not fulfilled and his great talents are not used.