Member Poem

Du Fu (712-770)

Thinking of Li Bai, at Heaven’s End

Cold wind

is blowing from heaven’s end,

Leaving me to wonder how

the noble Li Bai is feeling.

How long will it take

for the wild geese to carry his news

Across the rivers and lakes,

and great autumn waters?

Literary works

abhor an easy fate

And mountain demons

love to fall upon people.

You should answer the spirit of the poet,

Qu Yuan, also wronged by an emperor,

By throwing a poem

into the Mi Luo River, where he drowned.

Dù Fǔ

Tiān mò huái lǐ bái

Liáng fēng qǐ tiān mò,

Jūn zǐ yì rú hé.

Hóng yàn jǐ shí dào,

Jiāng hú qiū shuǐ duō.

Wén zhāng zēng mìng dá,

Chī mèi xǐ rén guò.

Yīng gòng yuān hún yǔ,

Tóu shī zèng mì luō.

Birchleaf-pear-tree Man = Du Fu(712-770)

Sky/day/heaven/god/celestial end/latter-part/final-stage/last/end/insignificant think-of/to-harbor-in-one’s-mind/carry-in-bosom Li/plum Bai/white

[Li Bai= one of the greatest poets of the Tang Dynasty]

Cool/cold/disheartened wind start/launches/rise/go-up-to sky/heaven/celestial end/last/final/insignificant

Nobleman/gentleman child/son meaning/thought/idea/wish/ desire/opinion as/as-if/like what/why/how/which

[Nobleman child = nobleman, person of noble character], [as/as-if what= what way, how]

Species-of-wild-swan/vast/large/great wild-goose what/how-many/how-much time arrive/until/go-to

[Species-of-wild-swan wild-goose = swan goose]

River/large-river/Yangtze lake autumn/fall water many/a-lot-of/much

[River lake= around the whole country, rivers and lakes], [autumn water= similar to the verse in Poem#12, refers to waves, metaphor of ups and downs.]

Literary/literature/culture/writings works/article/essay/composition detest/hate/abhor life/fate/order/destiny/luck eminent/amount-to/intelligent/attain/reach/arrive-at

Spirits/a-mountain-demon-resembling-a-tiger devils/demon/forest-demon/elf like/love/enjoy/happy/fond-of/pleased/delight people pass/cross/go-over/get-along/excessively/go-through

[Spirits devils = spirits and devils (usually harmful), demons]

Should/ought-to/must/answer/respond/comply-with  together/share/common/general injustice/grievance/injustice/wrong soul/spirits language/word/expression

[injustice soul/spirits= ghost of one who died unjustly, departed spirit demanding vengeance for grievances]

Send/throw/invest/cast/fling poem/verse/ode give-as-a-present/bestow/confer Mi/sink Luo/net-for-catching-birds/gauze

[Mi Luo (River)= the river in Hu’nan, where the famous poet Qu Yuan drowned himself because of injustice from the emperor.], [Note: When Du wrote this poem, he knew Li Bai was exiled to Yelang, so he assumed Li would pass by the Miluo River.]