Missing relatives in Ruzhou, translated by Huang Tingjian
1. "Moonlight Night Remembering My Brother"
Tang Dynasty: Du Fu
Shugu Duan As people walk, there is the sound of wild geese in autumn. The dew is white tonight, and the moon is bright in my hometown.
My brothers are all scattered, and I have no family to ask about life and death. The letter sent was not delivered, but the troops were not suspended.
Translation:
The sound of watch drums on the garrison blocked people's communication. In the autumn of the frontier fortress, a lone goose was chirping. Tonight has entered the Bailu solar term, and the moon is still the brightest in my hometown. I have brothers but they are all scattered. I have no home and cannot inquire about life and death. Letters sent home to Luoyang City were often not delivered, not to mention the frequent wars that never stopped.
2. "Autumn Thoughts"
Tang Dynasty: Zhang Ji
Seeing the autumn wind in Luoyang city, I wanted to write a book with great meaning.
I’m afraid I can’t say it all in a hurry, and the travelers have to open it again before leaving.
Translation:
The annual autumn wind blows to Luoyang City again. The wanderers living in Luoyang City don’t know how their relatives in their hometown are doing; There is so much to say and I don’t know where to start. After the letter was written, I was worried that I had not finished what I wanted to say in the rush; when the sender set off, I opened the envelope again and returned it to him.
3. "Looking at the Moon and Feelings"
Tang Dynasty: Bai Juyi
It was a difficult time and the world was empty, and the brothers were traveling in various places. After the war, the countryside was desolate, and the bones and flesh were scattered on the road.
The hanging shadow is divided into thousands of miles of wild geese, and the roots are scattered into Jiuqiu Peng. ***You should shed tears when you look at the bright moon. My heart is in the same place all night long.
Translation:
The family fortune was wiped out in the disaster years, and the brothers were scattered to the west and the east. After the war, the countryside was desolate and desolate, and the bones and flesh were scattered on the roads in foreign lands. The hanging shadow is as sad as a solitary wild goose, wandering without a trace like an autumn canopy with its roots cut off. Looking at the bright moon at the same time makes one sad and sheds tears, and one feels homesick in the same way all night long.