I Climb to the Leyou Tombs Before Leaving for Wuxing
- Poetry of Du Mu
Even in this good reign, how can I serve?
The lone cloud rather, the Buddhist peace....
Once more, before crossing river and sea,
I face the great Emperor's mountain-tomb.
Seven-character-quatrain
This poem was written in 850 AD during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty. At the time, Du Mu served as a low-ranking official in the Ministry of Personnel, frustrated by his inability to realize his ambitions. Seeking a change, he requested a transfer and prepared to take up a post as the governor of Huzhou. Before leaving the capital, he ascended Leyou Plateau and gazed toward the Zhaoling Mausoleum of Emperor Taizong, using the scenery to express his concerns about the state of the nation and his own unfulfilled aspirations.
清时有味是无能，闲爱孤云静爱僧。
欲把一麾江海去，乐游原上望昭陵。
- 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.