Peach blossoms in full bloom by riverside,
Cloud-like sails pass by maples far and wide.
To earn a living I have to change place,
Coming from afar, tears stream on my face.
On southern journey, old and ill I sigh;
Looking northward, I long for royal sky.
Why should I torture myself for so long?
Where is the connoisseur who knows my song?
春岸桃花水，云帆枫树林。
偷生长避地，适远更沾襟。
老病南征日，君恩北望心。
百年歌自苦，未见有知音。
The poem is both a reflection of Du Fu’s sad life and his concern for the country and the people in his later years, and a self-assessment of the poet’s self-confidence and self-conceit in his own poetry.
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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