A Quatrain I
- Poetry of Du Fu
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.
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.
迟日江山丽，春风花草香。
泥融飞燕子，沙暖睡鸳鸯。
- 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.