A Painted Hawk
- Poetry of Du Fu
Upon white silk there rise the winds of frost—
How vividly this painted hawk is drawn!
It stiffens, poised to pounce on hare, and casts
A sidelong glance like that of a grieved man.
Bright are the rings upon the silken cord;
Upon the painted rail it stands, alive.
When will it strike at common birds and lord
Its bloody plumage o'er the plain where crows dive?
This poem was composed in the late Kaiyuan era of Emperor Xuanzong (around 741 CE), representing Du Fu's early style of using the description of an object to voice his aspirations. It was a time known as the "flourishing zenith of Kaiyuan." The young Du Fu was roaming the regions of Qi and Zhao, leading a spirited and untrammeled life, his heart filled with the grand ambition to "make my sovereign surpass the sage-kings Yao and Shun, and restore anew the customs pure and true." The painting of an eagle celebrated in this poem, though its artist is unknown, possessed a heroic, keen spirit that resonated deeply with the poet's own youthful longing to display his prowess and sweep away the mediocre. This painting was not merely an artistic subject but a projection of the poet's ideal self and a declaration of his vibrant, youthful vitality.
素练风霜起，苍鹰画作殊。
㧐身思狡兔，侧目似愁胡。
绦镟光堪擿，轩楹势可呼。
何当击凡鸟，毛血洒平芜。
- 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.