A lonely bird of prey in the sky;
A pair of white gulls on the river fly.
The former pounces on its prey with ease;
The latter come and go as they please.
Dew on the grass is also wet with tears;
Unfinished cobwebs hang for years.
The way of heaven is like the fate of man;
Standing alone, I’m grieved as I can.
空外一鸷鸟，河间双白鸥。
飘飖搏击便，容易往来游。
草露亦多湿，蛛丝仍未收。
天机近人事，独立万端忧。
This poem is a significant late work by Du Fu, composed around the autumn of 767 CE during the Dali era of Emperor Daizong, while the poet was living in hardship in Kuizhou (present-day Fengjie, Chongqing). Although the An Lushan Rebellion had been suppressed, the nation remained unstable, beset by crises such as separatist warlords, the dominance of court eunuchs, and invasions by the Tibetan Empire. Elderly and in poor health, Du Fu felt deeply the peril of his personal fate and the hardships of the nation. This poem, through highly condensed symbolism, integrates natural imagery with anxiety for the state, presenting the mature style of his later years that masterfully combines profound melancholy, measured rhythm, and incisive depth.
Classical Chinese poetry thrives on Concision and Ambiguity. Without tense or number, the words create a timeless space where the reader becomes the co-creator of the poem's meaning.
Look for Contrasts: light and shadow, movement and stillness. Don't just translate the words; feel the Yijing (artistic conception) that lingers long after the last character.
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