Member Poem

Du Fu (712-770)

Gazing to Spring

The nation is broken,

but the rivers and mountains remain

In the capital, spring

has brought out thick the grass and trees.

Feeling the times,

the flowers are splashed with tears—

And I’m hating this separation,

startled even by birds.

The battle’s beacon fires

have burned through all of March

And letters from home

are worth ten thousand in gold.

As my whitened hair

grows ever short

It wants,

But cannot bear, a hairpin.

Dù Fǔ

Chūn wàng

Guó pò shān hé zài,

Chéng chūn cǎo mù shēn.

Gǎn shí huā jiàn lèi,

Hèn bié niǎo jīng xīn.

Fēng huǒ lián sān yuè,

Jiā shū dǐ wàn jīn.

Bái tóu sāo gèng duǎn,

Hún yù bù shèng zān.

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

Spring/youthful/joyful/lust hope/looking-forward-to/expect/gaze

Country/nation/state broken/damaged/worn-out/  split-or-cleave/get-rid-of/destroy/defeat/to-capture (a city)  mountains rivers exist/to-be-in

[mountains rivers=a saying, the whole country]

City-walls/city/town spring-time grass woods/trees deep/profound/close/late

[grass woods= vegetation, plants]

[Notes: Residents were all fleeing from the political calamity. Thus, weeds were all over the capital city, Chang An.]

Feel/to-move/to-touch/affect/perceive/emotion when/moment/time/period/hour/season flower to-splash(with) tears/weep

Hatred/regret/resent farewell/depart/separate/to-leave bird frighten/startle/to-be-scared/alarm (the poet’s)heart

[Note: Du Fu was grounded in the capital city for around 6 months by then. It was a long separation from his family, so even the bird chirping bothered him under that stressful environment.]

Beacon/signal-fire fire(of the war alarm) continuously/in-succession/connect/link/join the-third month

[Note: Tang’s troop had a non-stop fight with the rebellion force during throughout March that year.]

Home/family letter to-equal/to-balance/make-up-for/support/offset thousands(pound of) gold

[Note: Du Fu’s family was in Fuzhou then, away from Chang’an. So there was little communication between Du Fu and his family.]

White head/hair scratch even-more/further/still-more short

[White head/hair=hoary hair, hint of old age]

Indeed/almost/mix to-do/wish-for/desire/passion not able-to-bear/stand/equal-to hairpin/use-hairpin