Category: Poetry

This poem was written by Du Fu who is considered to be one of China’s greatest poets of the Tang dynasty.

Du Fu was born to a minor scholar-official in Henan Province. His mother died while he was young, and an aunt helped raised him.

Du Fu is often described as a poet-historian, and his works convey the emotional impact and import of political and social issues and register a range of private concerns, trials, and dramas. His poems are remarkable for their range of moods as well as contents.

Alan and I worked on the translation together on this piece. You may read more of Alan’s translation work on Chinese, Spanish poetry, own poetry and essays here.

对雪

战哭多新鬼
愁吟独老翁

乱云低薄暮
急雪舞回风

瓢弃樽无绿
炉存火似红

数州消息断
愁坐正书空

After the battle, we mourn for the dead;
I’m old and alone, grief filling my head.

Dark, ominous clouds are filtering down;
The cold wind and snow are swirling around.

There is no wine left in the calabash bowl,
But the stove is still hot from the smoldering coal.

The news cannot reach us from our dearest kin;
I sit down to write, but I cannot begin.

This poem was written by Du Fu in 754. He was a Chinese poet and politician of the Tang dynasty.
Alan Steinle (Alan’s work) and I worked on the translation together.

秋雨叹三首 (一)

雨中百草秋烂死
阶下决明颜色鲜
著叶满枝翠羽盖
开花无数黄金钱
凉风萧萧吹汝急
恐汝后时难独立
堂上书生空白头
临风三嗅馨香泣

The grass has decayed from all the rain we’ve seen,
But the cassia below the steps remains bright green.

Your feather-like leaves escaped the autumn showers;
Like golden coins are your many blooming flowers.

You can feel the bitter wind’s persistent attack;
Can your stalk endure the force, or will it crack?

Above the steps, I let down my graying hair;
I smell the fragrant cassia, but I feel despair.