A Night at a Tavern
- Poetry of Du Mu

《旅宿》

English Translation

Solitary at the tavern,

I am shut in with loneliness and grief.

Under the cold lamp, I brood on the past;

I am kept awake by a lost wildgoose.

...Roused at dawn from a misty dream,

I read, a year late, news from home --

And I remember the moon like smoke on the river

And a fisher-boat moored there, under my door.

Five-character-regular-verse

This poem was written by Du Mu during his travels, though the exact date is unknown. Staying at an inn in a foreign land, the poet found himself in a state of loneliness and was moved by the scenery to reflect on his longing for home and family. While the poem does not explicitly mention the hardships of travel, its lines are filled with the melancholy of a wanderer and a deep sense of homesickness.

中文原文( Chinese )

旅馆无良伴，凝情自悄然。

寒灯思旧事，断雁警愁眠。

远梦归侵晓，家书到隔年。

沧江好烟月，门系钓鱼船。

Pre：No Data

Next：I Climb to the Leyou Tombs Before Leaving for Wuxing

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.

A Night at a Tavern - Poetry of Du Mu

A Night at a Tavern
- Poetry of Du Mu