Facing Snow
- Poetry of Du Fu

《对雪》

English Rendering

After the battle, many new ghosts cry,

The solitary old man worries and grieves.

Ragged clouds are low amid the dusk,

Snow dances quickly in the whirling wind.

The ladle's cast aside, the cup not green,

The stove still looks as if a fiery red.

To many places, communications are broken,

I sit, but cannot read my books for grief.

Facing Snow by Du Fu
Facing Snow by Du Fu

Original Text (中文原文)

战哭多新鬼,愁吟独老翁。

乱云低薄暮,急雪舞回风。

瓢弃尊无绿,炉存火似红。

数州消息断,愁坐正书空。

Analysis & Context

This poem dates from late 756, after an unsuccessful attempt by the government to recapture Chang'an from the rebels.

Reader's Companion

The Essence of the Verse

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.

Reading Between the Lines

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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