Du Fu: Gaze Into the Distance During Spring

Gaze Into the Distance During Spring

春 望

国 破 山 河 在
城 春 草 木 深。
感 时 花 溅 泪
恨 别 鸟 惊 心。

烽 火 连 三 月
家 书 抵 万 金。
白 头 搔 更 短
浑 欲 不 胜 簪。

Chun Wang

Guo po shan he zai
Cheng chun cao mu shen.
Gan shi hua jian lei
Hen bie niao jing xin.

Feng huo lian san yue
Jia shu di wan jin.
Bai tou sao geng duan
Hun yu bu sheng zan.

Gaze Into the Distance During Spring

Nation is broken and worn out, mountains and rivers survive on
Cities full of deep spring grasses and forgotten trees.
Realize seasonal flowers also drop their tears
Departing birds and our regrets startle hearts and minds.

Last three months of beacon fires and the flames of war
Letters from home worth thousands of gold pieces.
My hair white, new patches emerge thinner than before
Almost to the point where hairpins have become useless.

Commentary:

One of the more famous of Du Fu’s poems, and he had many.  He is looking over what remains after the war and carnage of An Lushan‘s rebellion.  The first line is often quoted, and applies to our world today as it did during the Tang Dynasty in ancient China.  Actually, it also seems similar to the thoughts and sentiments of “The Preacher” in the book of Ecclesiastes in the Old Testament: “What will be done, has been done.  And what has been done will be done.  There is nothing new under the sun.”