Year Fri, 2012-05-11 12:00 Translation Du Fu (712-770) 杜甫 Climbing the Yueyang Tower 登岳陽樓 I heard of the Dongting Riverin ancient times 昔聞洞庭水 But now I climbthe Yueyang Tower, overlooking it. 今上岳陽樓 It separates the Wu and Chu kingdoms,to the east and to the south, 吳楚東南坼 Holding the heavens and the earth,and day and night, floating between. 乾坤日夜浮 Relatives and friends—no one has written: 親朋無一字 I’m old and sickwith just a lonely boat. 老病有孤舟 Arms and cavalryalong the northern mountains forts... 戎馬關山北 I lean on the balcony,drifting in my tears. 憑軒涕泗流 Notes: 1. Background: This poem was written during the last three years of Du’s life. Du was 57-years old then, suffered from a right deaf ear, pulmonary disease, etc. The last three years in his life was basically spent on a boat, wandering. Original Chinese Traditional Simplified Pronunciation 杜甫 杜甫 Dù Fǔ 登岳陽樓 登岳阳楼 Dēng yuè yáng lóu 昔聞洞庭水， 昔闻洞庭水， Xī wén dòng tíng shuǐ, 今上岳陽樓。 今上岳阳楼。 Jīn shàng yuè yáng lóu. 吳楚東南坼， 吴楚东南坼， Wú chǔ dōng nán chè, 乾坤日夜浮。 乾坤日夜浮。 Qián kūn rì yè fú. 親朋無一字， 亲朋无一字， Qīn péng wú yī zì, 老病有孤舟。 老病有孤舟。 Lǎo bìng yǒu gū zhōu. 戎馬關山北， 戎马关山北， Róng mǎ guān shān běi, 憑軒涕泗流。 凭轩涕泗流。 Píng xuān tì sì liú. Literal Notes 杜甫 Birchleaf-pear-tree Man=Du Fu(712-770) 登岳陽樓 Ascend/scale(a height)/rise/climb Yue/mountain-peak Yang/light/sun Tower[Yue Yang Tower=famous scenic spot in Yueyang, north Hu’nan. It overlooks Dongting Lake. Also one of the three most famous pagodas in China.] 昔聞洞庭水， Former-times/the-past/ancient hear Dong/cave/grotto Ting/courtyard River/water 今上岳陽樓。 Today/now/current climb/get-onto/go-up Yue/mountain-peak Yang/light/sun Tower 吳楚東南坼， Wu Chu east(ern/ward) south(ern/ward) split/break/crack/tear-open[Wu Chu= two ancient kingdoms, Wu and Chu, which were divided by Dongting Lake, located in the middle and lower Yangtze valley] 乾坤日夜浮。 Heavenly-generative-principle(male)/warming-principle-of-the-sun earth day/sun night(moon) float/drift/waft/temporary/superfluous[Heaven earth= the universe, Yin and Yang. Meaning: the magnificence of Dongting Lake makes it feel even the sun and moon are embraced in it.], [day night = day and night, around the clock] 親朋無一字， Relative/parent/related/intimate friend no/not-to-have one/single letter/word[letter/word= here means news, message from the relatives.] 老病有孤舟。 Old/senior ill/sick/desease there-is/have lonesome/ lonely/solitary boat 戎馬關山北， Military-affairs/arms horse fortresses/frontier-pass mountains(along the Great Wall)/hills/peaks north(ern/ward)[Military-affairs horse= by extension, military matters][Note: During the autumn and winter of that year, the Tartars harassed along the border, so the imperial court had to deploy immediate troops.] 憑軒涕泗流。 Lean-on/rely-on/depend-on pavilion-with-a-view/carriage/balcony nasal-mucus/tears/snivel nasal-mucus/nasal-flow/sniffle flow/move/drift/spread Rating Select ratingGive it 1/5Give it 2/5Give it 3/5Give it 4/5Give it 5/5 No votes yet Rate