English Rendering
The sun has slanted, the land's fair and bright;
The vernal breeze brings fragrance of sweet flowers.
Swallows fly o'er the softened clay in flight;
On sand so warm are sleeping lovebirds in bowers.
A Quatrain I
- Poetry of Du Fu
《绝句二首 · 其一》
Original Text (中文原文)
迟日江山丽，春风花草香。
泥融飞燕子，沙暖睡鸳鸯。
Analysis & Context
This poem was composed in the autumn of 768 CE, the third year of the Dali era under Emperor Daizong. Du Fu was fifty-seven years old, adrift in the Jianghan region (modern-day Hubei). Having left Kuizhou, his hope of returning north grew faint. Afflicted by poverty and illness, his future was uncertain. Yet, in these seemingly hopeless circumstances, Du Fu produced one of the most robust and profound declarations of his later years. This poem is not merely a wanderer's lament; it is a solemn meditation on aging, wisdom, and the indomitable nature of the human spirit.
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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- My Neighbor South
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- Lodging by Riverside Tower
- Along the River for Flowers Alone I
- The Cottage by the Stream
- The Summit Temple
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- Invitation to Wine
- Question and Answer in the Mountains
- Cold sheet
- Coming Home ( Returning Home )
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