The Winding River I
- Poetry of Du Fu
Spring fades when petals on petals fly as they please;
It grieves me to see dots on dots waft in the breeze.
Enjoy the blooms passing away before your eyes;
Do not refuse to drown your grief in wine and sighs!
In the riverside halls kingfishers build their nest;
Before the tomb the stone animals lie at rest.
The law of Nature tells us to enjoy as we may.
Why spoil our joy by sheer vanity of the day?
This poem was written in 757, during the An Lushan Rebellion, a period of turmoil and instability. Du Fu, having experienced the fall of Chang’an, found himself in a state of distress and disillusionment. At the time, he was neglected by Emperor Suzong and held an official position without real power. In Qujiang, he uses the imagery of falling spring flowers to mirror his inner turmoil, expressing his deep understanding of life's impermanence and the passage of time. Though physically present in Chang’an, his political disappointment and personal hardships filled the poem with a sense of sorrow and resentment.
一片花飞减却春，风飘万点正愁人。
且看欲尽花经眼，莫厌伤多酒入唇。
江上小堂巢翡翠，苑边高冢卧麒麟。
细推物理须行乐，何用浮名绊此身。
- 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.