Du Fu: Strong Autumn Winds Break Up My Thatched House

Strong Autumn Winds Break Up My Thatched House

茅 屋 为 秋 风 所 破 歌

八 月 秋 高 风 怒 号
卷 我 屋 上 三 重 茅。
茅 飞 渡 江 洒 江 郊
高 者 挂 罥 长 林 梢。

下 者 飘 转 沉 塘 坳
南 村 群 童 欺 我 老 无 力
忍 能 对 面 为 盗 贼
公 然 抱 茅 入 竹 去。

唇 焦 口 燥 呼 不 得
归 来 倚 仗 自 叹 息。
俄 顷 风 定 云 墨 色
秋 天 漠 漠 向 昏 黑。

布 衾 多 年 冷 似 铁
娇 儿 恶 卧 踏 里 裂。
床 头 屋 漏 无 干 处
雨 脚 如 麻 未 断 绝。

自 经 丧 乱 少 睡 眠
长 夜 沾 湿 何 由 彻？
安 得 广 厦 千 万 间
大 庇 天 下 寒 士 俱 欢 颜
风 雨 不 动 安 如 山。
呜 呼！ 何 时 眼
前 突 无 见 此 屋。
吾 庐 独 破 受 冻 死 亦 足！

Mao Wu Wei Qiu Feng Suo Po Ge

Ba yue qiu gao feng nu hao
Juan wo wu shang san zhong mao
Mao fei du jiang sa jiang jiao
Gao zhe gua juan chang lin shao

Xia zhe piao zhuan chen tang ao
Nan cun qun tong qi wo lao wu dao.
Ren neng dui mian wei dao zei
Gong ran bao mao ru zhu qu

Chun jiao kou zao hu bu dei
Gui lai yi zhang zi tan si.
E qing feng ding yun mo se
Qiu tian mo mo xiang hun hei.

Bu qin duo nian leng si tie
Jiao er wu wo at li lie.
Chuang tou wu lou wu gan chu
Yu jiao ru ma wei duan jue.

Zi jing sang luan shao shui mian
Chang ye zhan shi he you che?
An dei guang sha qian wan jian
Da bi tian xia han shi ju huan yan.

Feng you bu dong an ru shan
Wu hu! He shi yan
Qian tu wu jian ci wu.
Wu Lu du po shou dong si yi zu!

Strong Autumn Winds Break Up My Thatched House

Eighth lunar month, high autumn winds howling
Three layers of roof thatch blown off my house.
It flew across the river and into the city outskirts
Some flew up high to hang from the tall forest branches.

Levees and ponds, float and sink most of the thatch
Groups of children from the southern villages know I am too old
to retrieve them.
These robbers and thieves able to escape
They openly carry my thatch into the bamboo thickets.

Burned and dry lips cannot call them back
Go back home to rest and regroup.
Winds calm down, clouds the color of black ink
At dusk, autumn weather approaching silent and foggy.

After many years, thin quilts become cold as iron
Not wanting to lie down, spoiled children split open the insides.
Leaking water into the house, we crowd into a protected bed
Rain unrelenting, beaded like ripening grain stalks.

Ever since the country entered turmoil and chaos, I have slept very little
How can we sleep when wet throughout the long nights.
Maybe with peace we can build separate large houses for the millions
Below heaven, the cold masses all need bigger shelters, it would bring them joy.

Then living under the rain and winds would be peaceful like the mountains
Alas! When can I see these houses raised up.
With merit and luck, my humble house could help the masses
To survive their freezing and suffering.

Notes:

Eighth lunar month would be end of August or September as a solar month.

Commentary:

Another poem of compassion for the people.