The Cottage by the Stream
- Poetry of Du Fu
My cot’s secluded where the limpid river winds;
My wicket gate is near the ancient roadway.
The town’s screened by overgrown grass of all kinds;
In lonely place I am slack in my array.
The branches of each elm look frail and slight;
Each loquat tree’s in fragrant flower.
Cormorants stand in western sunset bright,
Drying wings on weir from hour to hour.
This poem was composed in 761 CE, the second year of the Shangyuan era under Emperor Suzong. Having endured years of displacement during the An Lushan Rebellion, Du Fu had finally found a temporary haven at his thatched cottage by the Huanhua Stream in Chengdu. Facing a shattered nation and a difficult livelihood, the scenery of this riverside village became a sanctuary where he could heal his wounds and settle his body and spirit. The poem depicts not only the landscape surrounding his cottage but also the poet’s nearly reverent gaze upon and record of ordinary life in the aftermath of catastrophe.
田舍清江曲，柴门古道旁。
草深迷市井，地僻懒衣裳。
榉柳枝枝弱，枇杷树树香。
鸬鹚西日照，晒翅满鱼梁。
- Why Chinese poems is so special?
- The most distinctive features of Chinese poetry are: concision- many poems are only four lines, and few are much longer than eight; ambiguity- number, tense and parts of speech are often undetermined, creating particularly rich interpretative possibilities; and structure- most poems follow quite strict formal patterns which have beauty in themselves as well as highlighting meaningful contrasts.
- How to read a Chinese poem?
- Like an English poem, but more so. Everything is there for a reason, so try to find that reason. Think about all the possible connotations, and be aware of the different possibilities of number and tense. Look for contrasts: within lines, between the lines of each couplet and between successive couplets. Above all, don't worry about what the poet meant- find your meaning.