Little Primer of Du Fu, Poems 6-10

[x_los]

This is week 2/7 on David Hawkes' Little Primer of Du Fu. I'll replicate the poems themselves here, but this book contains considerable exegesis, so I do advise you to grab this copy.

This week we're reading poems 6 through 10, inclusive.

How to Read Chinese Poetry in Context's Chapter 15, "Du Fu: The Poet as Historian", is relevant to Hawkes' focus. (Next week's Additional Readings are more focused on poetics.)

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6. 春望 Chūn wàng

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春望
Chūn wàng

國 破 山 河 在
1. Guó pò shān-hé zài,
城 春 草 木 深
2. Chéng chūn cǎo-mù shēn.
感 時 花 濺 淚
3. Gǎn shí huā jiàn lèi,
恨 別 鳥 驚 心
4. Hèn bié niǎo jīng xīn.
烽 火 連 三 月
5. Fēng-huǒ lián sān yuè,
家 書 抵 萬 金
6. Jiā-shū dǐ wàn jīn.
白 頭 搔 更 短
7. Bái tóu sāo gèng duǎn,
渾 欲 不 勝 簪
8. Hún yù bù-shēng zān.

Read Aloud:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIFLqA10w2o or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=va1-4IlolqU

Spring Scene

The state may fall, but the hills and streams remain. It is spring in the city: grass and leaves grow thick. The flowers shed tears of grief for the troubled times, and the birds seem startled, as if with the anguish of separation. For three months continuously the beacon-fires have been burning. A letter from home would be worth a fortune. My white hair is getting so scanty from worried scratching that soon there won’t be enough to stick my hatpin in!”

7. 哀江頭 Āi jiāng-tóu

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哀江頭
Āi jiāng-tóu

少 陵 野 老 吞 聲 哭
1. Shào-líng yě-lǎo tūn-shēng kū,
春 日 潛 行 曲 江 曲
2. Chūn-rì qián-xíng Qū-jiāng qū.
江 頭 宮 殿 鎖 千 門
3. Jiāng-tóu gōng-diàn suǒ qiān mén,
細 柳 新 蒲 為 誰 綠
4. Xì liǔ xīn pú wèi shuí lǜ?
憶 昔 霓 旌 下 南 苑
5. Yì xī ní-jīng xià Nán-yuàn,
苑 中 萬 物 生 顏 色
6. Yuàn-zhōng wàn-wù shēng yán-sè.
昭 陽 殿 裏 第 一 人
7. Zhāo-yáng-diàn-lǐ dì-yī rén,
同 輦 隨 君 侍 君 側
8. Tóng-niǎn suí jūn shì jūn cè.
“輦 前 才 人 帶 弓 箭
9. Niǎn-qián cái-rén dài gōng-jiàn,
白 馬 嚼 齧 黃 金 勒
10. Bái mǎ jué-niè huáng-jīn lè;
翻 身 向 天 仰 射 雲
11. Fān-shēn xiàng tiān yǎng shè yún,
一 笑 正 墜 雙 飛 翼
12. Yí xiào zhèng zhuì shuāng fēi yì.
明 眸 皓 齒 今 何 在
13. Míng-móu hào-chǐ jīn hé zài?
血 污 遊 魂 歸 不 得
14. Xuè-wū yóu-hún guī-bù-dé.
清 渭 東 流 劍 閣 深
15. Qīng Wèi dōng liú Jiàn-gé shēn,
去 住 彼 此 無 消 息
16. Qù zhù bǐ-cǐ wú xiāo-xī.
人 生 有 情 淚 霑 臆
17. Rén-shēng yǒu qíng lèi zhān yì,
江 水 江 花 豈 終 極
18. Jiāng-shuǐ jiāng-huā qǐ zhōng-jí?
黃 昏 胡 騎 塵 滿 城
19. Huáng-hūn hú-jì chén mǎn chéng,
欲 往 城 南 望 城 北
20. Yù wǎng chéng-nán wàng chéng-běi.

Read Aloud: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBtPTL3EVFA

“By the Lake

The old fellow from Shao-ling weeps with stifled sobs as he walks furtively by the bends of the Serpentine on a day in spring. In the waterside palaces the thousands of doors are locked. For whom have the willows and rushes put on their fresh greenery?
I remember how formerly, when the Emperor’s rainbow banner made its way into the South Park, everything in the park seemed to bloom with a brighter colour. The First Lady of the Chao-yang Palace rode in the same carriage as her lord in attendance at his side, while before the carriage rode maids of honour equipped with bows and arrows, their white horses champing at golden bits. Leaning back, face skywards, they shot into the clouds; and the Lady laughed gaily when a bird fell to the ground transfixed by a well-aimed arrow. Where are the bright eyes and the flashing smile now? Tainted with blood-pollution, her wandering soul cannot make its way back. The clear waters of the Wei flow eastwards, and Chien-ko is far away: between the one who has gone and the one who remains no communication is possible. It is human to have feelings and to shed tears for such things; but the grasses and flowers of the lakeside go on for ever, unmoved. As evening falls, the city is full of the dust of foreign horsemen. My way is towards the South City, but my gaze turns northwards.

8. 春宿左省 Chūn sù zuǒ-shěng

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春宿左省
Chūn sù zuǒ-shěng

花 隱 掖 垣 暮
1. Huā yǐn yè-yuán mù,
啾 啾 棲 鳥 過
2. Jiū-jiū qī niǎo guò.
星 臨 萬 戶 動
3. Xīng lín wàn-hù dòng,
月 傍 九 霄 多
4. Yuè bàng jiǔ-xiāo duō.
不 寢 聽 金 鑰
5. Bù-qǐn tīng jīn-yuè,
因 風 想 玉 珂
6. Yīn fēng xiǎng yù-kē.
明 朝 有 封 事
7. Míng-zhāo yǒu fēng-shì,
數 問 夜 如 何
8. Shuò wèn yè rú-hé.”

Read Aloud: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hb6tjgJuLMI

“Spring Night in the Imperial Chancellery

Evening falls on palace walls shaded by flowering trees, with cry of birds flying past on their way to roost. The stars quiver as they look down on the myriad doors of the palace, and the moon’s light increases as she moves into the ninefold sky. Unable to sleep, I seem to hear the sound of the bronze-clad doors opening for the audience, or imagine the sound of bridle-bells borne upon the wind. Having a sealed memorial to submit at tomorrow’s levée, I make frequent inquiries about the progress of the night.”

9. 至德二載甫自京金光門出，間道歸 Zhì-dé èr-zǎi Fǔ zì Jīng Jīn-guāng-mén ch

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至德二載甫自京金光門出，間道歸
Zhì-dé èr-zǎi Fǔ zì Jīng Jīn-guāng-mén chū, jiàn-dào guī
鳳翔。乾元初從左拾遺移華州掾。
Fèng-xiáng. Qián-yuán chū cóng zuǒ-shí-yí yí Huá-zhōu yuán.
與親故別，因出此門。有悲往事。
Yǔ qīn-gù bié, yīn chū cǐ mén. Yǒu bēi wǎng-shì.

此 道 昔 歸 順
1. Cǐ dào xī guī-shùn,
西 郊 胡 正 繁
2. Xī-jiāo hú zhèng fán.
至 今 猶 破 膽
3. Zhì-jīn yóu pò dǎn,
應 有 未 招 魂
4. Yīng yǒu wèi zhāo hún.
近 侍 歸 京 邑
5. Jìn-shì guī jīng-yì,
移 官 豈 至 尊
6. Yí guān qǐ zhì-zūn?
無 才 日 衰 老”
7. Wú-cái rì shuāi-lǎo,
駐 馬 望 千 門
8. Zhù-mǎ wàng qiān-mén.

Read Aloud: https://www.bilibili.com/s/video/BV1364y1d76F (Cantonese) (Can't find Mandarin.)

In the second year of Chih-te (757), I left the capital by the Gate of Golden Light and made my way secretly to the court at Feng-hsiang. At the beginning of Ch’ien-yüan (758), I was transferred from the post of Remembrancer in the Imperial Chancellery to that of a subordinate official in the prefectural government of Hua-chou. In order to take leave of friends and relations, I left the city by this same gate, a circumstance which brought back sad memories of past events.

When last year I made my way to grace by this same road, the western outskirts of the city were full of barbarian soldiers. To this day my nerves remain shattered, and I think some of my souls must still be in need of recall. I returned to the capital in the entourage of the Emperor. I am sure my present removal was not the doing of his Sacred Majesty. Lacking in ability, growing increasingly old and useless, I rein in my horse and gaze sadly towards the Imperial palace.

10. 贈衛八處士 Zèng Wèi Bā chǔ-shì”

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贈衛八處士
Zèng Wèi Bā chǔ-shì

人 生 不 相 見
1. Rén-shēng bù xiāng-jiàn,
動 如 參 與 商
2. Dòng rú shēn yǔ shāng;
今 夕 復 何 夕
3. Jīn-xī fù hé xī,
共 此 燈 燭 光
4. Gòng cǐ dēng-zhú guāng?
少 壯 能 幾 時
5. Shào-zhuàng néng jǐ-shí?
鬢 髮 各 已 蒼
6. Bìn-fà gè yǐ cāng.
訪 舊 半 為 鬼
7. Fǎng jiù bàn wéi guǐ,
驚 呼 熱 中 腸
8. Jīng-hū rè zhōng-cháng.
焉 知 二 十 載
9. Yān zhī èr-shí zǎi,
重 上 君 子 堂”
10. Chóng shàng jūn-zǐ táng!
昔 別 君 未 婚
11. Xī bié jūn wèi hūn,
兒 女 忽 成 行
12. Ér-nǚ hū chéng háng!
怡 然 敬 父 執
13. Yí-rán jìng fù-zhí,
問 我 來 何 方
14. Wèn wǒ lái hé-fāng.
問 答 乃 未 已
15. Wèn-dá nǎi wèi yǐ,
驅 兒 羅 酒 漿
16. Qū ér luó jiǔ-jiāng.
夜 雨 剪 春 韭
17. Yè yǔ jiǎn chūn jiǔ,
新 炊 間 黃 粱
18. Xīn chuī jiàn huáng-liáng.
主 稱 會 面 難
19. Zhǔ chēng huì-miàn nán,
一 舉 累 十 觴
20. Yì-jǔ lěi shí shāng;
十 觴 亦 不 醉
21. Shí shāng yì bú zuì,
感 子 故 意 長
22. Gǎn zǐ gù-yì cháng.
明 日 隔 山 岳
23. Míng-rì gé shān-yuè,
世 事 兩 茫 茫
24. Shì-shì liǎng máng-máng.

Read Aloud: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Os6xUsE34Mo

To the Recluse, Wei Pa

Often in this life of ours we resemble, in our failure to meet, the Shen and Shang constellations, one of which rises as the other one sets. What lucky chance is it, then, that brings us together this evening under the light of this same lamp? Youth and vigour last but a little time.—Each of us now has greying temples. Half of the friends we ask each other about are dead, and our shocked cries sear the heart. Who could have guessed that it would be twenty years before I sat once more beneath your roof? Last time we parted you were still unmarried, but now here suddenly is a row of boys and girls who smilingly pay their respects to their father’s old friend. They ask me where I have come from; but before I have finished dealing with their questions, the children are hurried off to fetch us wine. Spring chives are cut in the rainy dark, and there is freshly steamed rice mixed with yellow millet. ‘Come, we don’t meet often!’ you hospitably urge, pouring out ten cupfuls in rapid succession. That I am still not drunk after ten cups of wine is due to the strength of the emotion which your unchanging friendship inspires. Tomorrow the Peak will lie between us, and each will be lost to the other, swallowed up in the world’s affairs.

How to Read Chinese Poetry in Context's Chapter 15, "Du Fu: The Poet as Historian"

[x_los]

Any thoughts on this go here, if not incorporated in other responses.