This is a poem Du Fu (712-770 AD) wrote after his friend and fellow great Tang-dynasty poet, Li Bai (701-762 AD), was exiled from government to the southern frontier.
In the poem, he first compares the sorrow of parting with the dead to the sorrow of parting with an old friend. He has not heard any news from Li Bai in his exile, but sees him in a dream. He wonders if his friend’s spirit has parted from the body and becomes fearful for his life. After Li Bai’s spirit comes and goes, Du Fu reflects on his friend’s precarious situation and cautions him to sate or appease the water dragon, symbolizing the emperor and the enemies made in government.
Translation
By Du Fu | 杜甫 |
Dream of Li Bai #1 | 夢李白之一 |
Parting with the dead we swallow our cries | 死別 已吞 聲 |
Parting with the living we often fill with sorrow | 生別 常 惻惻 |
*** | |
From the Yangzi’s south, that land infested with malaria | 江南 瘴癘 地 |
I’ve heard no news from the exiled traveler | 逐客 無消息 |
*** | |
My old friend entered a dream | 故人 入 我夢 |
Bright and clear— your appearance I recall | 明我 長相 憶 |
You’re now stuck in a net of gauze | 君今 在 羅網 |
So how did you get your wings? | 何以 有 羽翼 |
I’m fearful it’s not a living soul | 恐非 平生魂 |
The road is so distant we cannot measure it | 路遠 不 可測 |
Your spirit came from a maple forest green | 魂來 楓林 青 |
And your spirit returns to a frontier fortress dark | 魂返 關塞 黑 |
The moon fills my room to the beams | 落月 滿屋 梁 |
And I wonder still if it’s showing the color of your face | 猶疑 照 顏色 |
*** | |
The water is deep and the waves are wild and broad | 水深 波浪 闊 |
I caution you to appease the water dragon | 無使 蛟龍 得 |
Original Chinese
Traditional | Simplified | Pronunciation |
杜甫 | 杜甫 | Dù Fǔ |
夢李白之一 | 梦李白之一 | Mèng Li Bái Zhī Yī |
死別已吞聲， | 死别已吞声， | Sǐ bié // yǐ tūn shēng, |
生別常惻惻。 | 生别常恻恻。 | Shēng bié // cháng cè cè. |
江南瘴癘地， | 江南瘴疠地， | Jiāng nán // zhàng lì de, |
逐客無消息。 | 逐客无消息。 | Zhú kè // wú xiāo xi. |
故人入我夢， | 故人入我梦， | Gù rén // rù wǒ mèng, |
明我長相憶； | 明我长相忆； | Míng wǒ // zhǎng xiàng yì; |
君今在羅網， | 君今在罗网， | Jūn jīn // zài luó wǎng, |
何以有羽翼？ | 何以有羽翼？ | Hé yǐ // yǒu yǔyì? |
恐非平生魂， | 恐非平生魂， | Kǒng fēi // píng shēng hún, |
路遠不可測。 | 路远不可测。 | Lù yuǎn // bù kě cè. |
魂來楓林青， | 魂来枫林青， | Hún lái // fēng lín qīng, |
魂返關塞黑； | 魂返关塞黑； | Hún fǎn // guān sài hēi; |
落月滿屋梁， | 落月满屋梁， | Luò yuè // mǎn wū liáng, |
猶疑照顏色。 | 犹疑照颜色。 | Yóu yí // zhào yán sè. |
水深波浪闊， | 水深波浪阔， | Shuǐ shēn // bō làng kuò, |
無使蛟龍得。 | 无使蛟龙得。 | Wú shǐ // jiāo lóng dé. |
Literal Translation
杜甫 | Stop Begin [Du Fu (712-770 AD)) |
夢李白之一 | Dream Plum White # 1 [Plum White = Li Bai (701-762 AD)] |
死別已吞聲， | Dead part stop swallow voice [dead part = parted by death; swallow voice = swallow one’s cries] |
生別常惻惻。 | Living part often feel-anguish feel-compassion |
江南瘴癘地， | Yangzi south malaria-vapors pestilent land [malaria-vapors pestilent = malaria] |
逐客無消息。 | Expel traveler have-no vanish cease [expel traveler = exiled; vanish cease = news] |
故人入我夢， | Old man enter my dream [old man = old friend] |
明我長相憶； | Bright/clear I/us long mutual remember [long mutual = appearance/looks] |
君今在羅網， | You now in gauze net |
何以有羽翼？ | How therefore have feather wings? [how therefore = whence] |
恐非平生魂， | Fearful not peaceful living soul [peaceful living = all one’s life] |
路遠不可測。 | Road distant not can measure |
魂來楓林青， | Spirit come maple-tree forest green |
魂返關塞黑； | Spirit return frontier pass dark/black [frontier pass = border fort] |
落月滿屋梁， | Drop moon fill house beams/rafters |
猶疑照顏色。 | Like/as question illuminate face color [like/as question = to hesitate; face color = color] |
水深波浪闊， | Water deep waves reckless wide/broad [waves reckless = wave] |
無使蛟龍得。 | No instruct/send scaly-dragon dragon obtain/contented [scaly-dragon dragon = a legendary dragon with the ability to control rain and floods. A dragon also symbolizes the emperor.] |
Year:
2011
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