This is the second of Du Fu’s dreams about his friend and fellow famous poet, Li Bai, who was exiled. He compares Li Bai to a floating cloud and wandering child for being so far away from home. Then he describes his dream of seeing Li Bai and imagines what a difficult journey his spirit had in coming all the way past rivers and lakes, wind and waves, to visit him.
The next section talks about how Li Bai was ambitious to be successful in government, but failed and ended up in exile. Finally, Du Fu writes that his friend will be famous for thousands of years (because of his beautiful poetry) but contrasts that with his current poor state.
Translation
| By Du Fu (712-770 AD) | 杜甫 |
| Dream of Li Bai #2 | 夢李白之二 |
| | |
| | |
| Floating cloud— drifting all day | 浮雲 終日 行 |
| Wandering child— a long time from home | 遊子 久 不至 |
| *** | |
| Three nights— again and again I’ve dreamed of you | 三夜 頻 夢君 |
| Feeling close— thinking I see you | 情親 見君意 |
| When it’s time for you to return— often you feel unease | 告歸 常局促 |
| It’s a bitter path— coming is not easy | 苦道 來不易 |
| Across the rivers and lakes— all the winds and waves | 江湖 多風波 |
| Oaring the boat— fearful of sinking | 舟楫 恐失墜 |
| *** | |
| Before the gate of your journey— you scratched your head white | 出門 搔 白首 |
| Seeming to carry a burden— all your life wanting to make a mark | 若負 平生 誌 |
| The caps of officials fill the capital— magnificently | 冠蓋 滿京 華 |
| But this exiled man— alone is thin and pallid | 斯人 獨 憔悴 |
| What clouds in heaven catch the world’s net, restoring fairness? | 孰雲 網 恢恢 |
| An old man was taken— his body bound | 將老 身反纍 |
| *** | |
| In a thousand years your name will still be living | 千秋 萬歲 名 |
| But until then, desolate and lonely— your body and self | 寂寞 身 後事 |
Original Chinese
| Traditional | Simplified | Pronunciation |
| | | |
| 杜甫 | 杜甫 | Dù Fǔ |
| 夢李白之二 | 梦李白之二 | Mèng Lǐ Bái Zhī Èr |
| | | |
| 浮雲終日行， | 浮云终日行， | Fú yún // zhōng rì xíng, |
| 遊子久不至； | 遊子久不至； | Yóu zǐ // jiǔ bù zhì; |
| 三夜頻夢君， | 叁夜频梦君， | Sān yè // pín mèng jūn, |
| 情親見君意。 | 情亲见君意。 | Qíng qīn // jiàn jūn yì. |
| 告歸常局促， | 告归常局促， | Gào guī // cháng jú cù, |
| 苦道來不易。 | 苦道来不易。 | Kǔ dào // lái bu yì. |
| 江湖多風波， | 江湖多风波， | Jiāng hú // duō fēng bō, |
| 舟楫恐失墜。 | 舟楫恐失坠。 | Zhōu jí // kǒng shī zhuì. |
| 出門搔白首， | 出门搔白首， | Chū mén // sāo bái shǒu, |
| 若負平生誌。 | 若负平生志。 | Ruò fù // píng shēng zhì. |
| 冠蓋滿京華， | 冠盖满京华， | Guān gài // mǎn jīng huá, |
| 斯人獨憔悴。 | 斯人独憔悴。 | Sī rén // dú qiáo cuì. |
| 孰雲網恢恢？ | 孰云网恢恢？ | Shú yún // wǎng huī huī? |
| 將老身反纍！ | 将老身反累！ | Jiāng lǎo // shēn fǎn lèi! |
| 千秋萬歲名， | 千秋万岁名， | Qiān qiū // wàn suì míng, |
| 寂寞身後事。 | 寂寞身后事。 | Jì mò // shēn hòu shì. |
Literal Translation
| 杜甫 | Stop Begin [Du Fu (712-770 AD)] |
| 夢李白之二 | Dream Plum White ’s 2 [Plum White = Li Bai (701-762 AD)] |
| | |
| 浮雲終日行， | Float clouds end sun go [float clouds = floating clouds, fleeting, transient; end sun = all day long] |
| 遊子久不至； | Wander child long-time no arrive [wander child = person living/traveling far from home] |
| 三夜頻夢君， | Three nights again-and-again dream you |
| 情親見君意。 | Feeling close see you think |
| 告歸常局促， | Say return frequent circumstance press [circumstance press = ill at ease] |
| 苦道來不易。 | Bitter path come not easy |
| 江湖多風波， | Large-river lake much wind waves [Large-river lake = rivers and lakes, around the whole country, vagrant; wind waves = disturbance, crisis] |
| 舟楫恐失墜。 | Boat oar fearful make-mistake sink [make-mistake sink = loss] |
| 出門搔白首， | Go-out gate scratch white head [Go-out gate = go on a journey] |
| 若負平生誌。 | Seem carry-burden peaceful life record/mark/footnote [peaceful life = all one’s life] |
| 冠蓋滿京華， | Official-cap cover fill capital-city magnificent |
| 斯人獨憔悴。 | This/lop-off man only/alone worn-out suffer [worn-out suffer = thin and pallid / haggard] |
| 孰雲網恢恢？ | Which? clouds net restore great [restore great = vast / extensive] |
| 將老身反纍！ | Take aged/old body against bind/twist-around |
| 千秋萬歲名， | Thousand autumn ten-thousand harvest name [thousand autumn = a thousand years; ten-thousand harvest = live long / wish a long life] |
| 寂寞身後事。 | Still/desolate lonely body/life/self after affair [after affair = future events, funeral arrangements] |
Year:
2011
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