Translation
Du Fu (712-770) | 杜甫 |
Climbing the Yueyang Tower | 登岳陽樓 |
I heard of the Dongting River in ancient times | 昔聞 洞庭水 |
But now I climb the Yueyang Tower, overlooking it. | 今上 岳陽樓 |
It separates the Wu and Chu kingdoms, to the east and to the south, | 吳楚 東南坼 |
Holding the heavens and the earth, and day and night, floating between. | 乾坤 日夜浮 |
Relatives and friends— no one has written: | 親朋 無一字 |
I’m old and sick with just a lonely boat. | 老病 有孤舟 |
Arms and cavalry along the northern mountains forts... | 戎馬 關山北 |
I lean on the balcony, drifting in my tears. | 憑軒 涕泗流 |
Notes:
1. Background: This poem was written during the last three years of Du’s life. Du was 57-years old then, suffered from a right deaf ear, pulmonary disease, etc. The last three years in his life was basically spent on a boat, wandering.
Original Chinese
Traditional | Simplified | Pronunciation |
杜甫 | 杜甫 | Dù Fǔ |
登岳陽樓 | 登岳阳楼 | Dēng yuè yáng lóu |
昔聞洞庭水， | 昔闻洞庭水， | Xī wén dòng tíng shuǐ, |
今上岳陽樓。 | 今上岳阳楼。 | Jīn shàng yuè yáng lóu. |
吳楚東南坼， | 吴楚东南坼， | Wú chǔ dōng nán chè, |
乾坤日夜浮。 | 乾坤日夜浮。 | Qián kūn rì yè fú. |
親朋無一字， | 亲朋无一字， | Qīn péng wú yī zì, |
老病有孤舟。 | 老病有孤舟。 | Lǎo bìng yǒu gū zhōu. |
戎馬關山北， | 戎马关山北， | Róng mǎ guān shān běi, |
憑軒涕泗流。 | 凭轩涕泗流。 | Píng xuān tì sì liú. |
Literal Notes
杜甫 | Birchleaf-pear-tree Man=Du Fu(712-770) |
登岳陽樓 | Ascend/scale(a height)/rise/climb Yue/mountain-peak Yang/light/sun Tower [Yue Yang Tower=famous scenic spot in Yueyang, north Hu’nan. It overlooks Dongting Lake. Also one of the three most famous pagodas in China.] |
昔聞洞庭水， | Former-times/the-past/ancient hear Dong/cave/grotto Ting/courtyard River/water |
今上岳陽樓。 | Today/now/current climb/get-onto/go-up Yue/mountain-peak Yang/light/sun Tower |
吳楚東南坼， | Wu Chu east(ern/ward) south(ern/ward) split/break/crack/tear-open [Wu Chu= two ancient kingdoms, Wu and Chu, which were divided by Dongting Lake, located in the middle and lower Yangtze valley] |
乾坤日夜浮。 | Heavenly-generative-principle(male)/warming-principle-of-the-sun earth day/sun night(moon) float/drift/waft/temporary/superfluous [Heaven earth= the universe, Yin and Yang. Meaning: the magnificence of Dongting Lake makes it feel even the sun and moon are embraced in it.], [day night = day and night, around the clock] |
親朋無一字， | Relative/parent/related/intimate friend no/not-to-have one/single letter/word [letter/word= here means news, message from the relatives.] |
老病有孤舟。 | Old/senior ill/sick/desease there-is/have lonesome/ lonely/solitary boat |
戎馬關山北， | Military-affairs/arms horse fortresses/frontier-pass mountains(along the Great Wall)/hills/peaks north(ern/ward) [Military-affairs horse= by extension, military matters] [Note: During the autumn and winter of that year, the Tartars harassed along the border, so the imperial court had to deploy immediate troops.] |
憑軒涕泗流。 | Lean-on/rely-on/depend-on pavilion-with-a-view/carriage/balcony nasal-mucus/tears/snivel nasal-mucus/nasal-flow/sniffle flow/move/drift/spread |
Year:
2012
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