A song of Sobbing by the river by Du Fu

I had always heard of Lake Dongting --
And now at last I have climbed to this tower.
With Wu country to the east of me and Chu to the south,
I can see heaven and earth endlessly floating.
...But no word has reached me from kin or friends.
I am old and sick and alone with my boat.
North of this wall there are wars and mountains --
And here by the rail how can I help crying?

Original Poem:

「登岳阳楼」
昔闻洞庭水， 今上岳阳楼。
吴楚东南坼， 乾坤日夜浮。
亲朋无一字， 老病有孤舟。
戎马关山北， 凭轩涕泗流。

杜甫

Interpretation:

This poem was composed in the winter of the third year of the Dali era of Emperor Daizong of the Tang Dynasty (768), when Du Fu was 57 years old. Due to the chaos of war, he had been displaced and had long wandered through the regions of Bashu and Jingchu. During his wanderings, Du Fu ascended the Yueyang Tower and gazed into the distance, beholding the vast scenery of Dongting Lake. Moved by the sight, he wrote this poem. Advanced in age and weakened by hardship, Du Fu's personal loneliness intertwined with the nation's peril, and his grief and indignation are vividly expressed on the page.

First Couplet: "昔闻洞庭水，今上岳阳楼。"
Xī wén Dòngtíng shuǐ, jīn shàng Yuèyáng lóu.
Long ago, I heard of the waters of Dongting Lake; today, I finally ascend Yueyang Tower to admire its grandeur.
The poet contrasts "long ago heard" with "today ascend," expressing his long-held anticipation and the joy of finally witnessing the lake's beauty. While the tone is calm and natural, it subtly foreshadows the sorrow that follows.

Second Couplet: "吴楚东南坼，乾坤日夜浮。"
Wú Chǔ dōng nán chè, qián kūn rì yè fú.
The vast Dongting Lake divides the lands of Wu and Chu, its expansive surface seemingly bearing the heavens and earth, floating day and night.
This couplet uses the grandeur of Dongting Lake to reflect the nation's turmoil and instability. The lake's ceaseless flow symbolizes the impermanence of life and the unpredictability of the times.

Third Couplet: "亲朋无一字，老病有孤舟。"
Qīn péng wú yī zì, lǎo bìng yǒu gū zhōu.
Not a word from family or friends; old and ill, I drift alone on a solitary boat.
The poet shifts from the majestic lake to his own reality, depicting his loneliness and hardship. The lack of news from loved ones, combined with his old age and illness, conveys a profound sense of helplessness and sorrow.

Fourth Couplet: "戎马关山北，凭轩涕泗流。"
Róng mǎ guān shān běi, píng xuān tì sì liú.
War rages in the northern frontiers; leaning against the window, I shed tears for my country and its people.
The final couplet elevates personal sorrow to national concern. Du Fu's grief for his own plight transforms into anguish for the nation's suffering, embodying his deep sense of responsibility and compassion.

Overall Appreciation

The poem uses the act of ascending Yueyang Tower and gazing at Dongting Lake as a narrative thread, employing a technique of "expressing sorrow through joy." It transitions from the grandeur of the landscape to the poet's personal loneliness, ultimately rising to a concern for the nation. The emotions progress layer by layer, beginning with the joy of finally seeing Dongting Lake, shifting to sorrow over personal hardship, and culminating in anguish over the nation's turmoil. The poem is profound, melancholic, and emotionally resonant.

Writing Characteristics

• Vivid Contrasts: The poet juxtaposes the vastness of Dongting Lake with his own isolation, highlighting the bleakness of his circumstances.
• Grand Imagery with Deep Symbolism: The lake symbolizes the instability of the times, blending personal sorrow with national crisis in a profound and weighty emotional expression.
• Subtle Allusions and Sincere Emotion: Without directly stating his concerns for the nation, the poet uses the imagery of the vast lake and the ongoing war to convey his anxieties about the state of the country.

Insights

This poem, centered on the themes of national turmoil and personal displacement, showcases Du Fu's broad-minded concern for his country and its people. Despite his own hardships, Du Fu remains deeply connected to the fate of the nation, demonstrating the sense of responsibility and moral integrity that a scholar should possess. The poem reminds us that, even in the face of adversity, we should maintain a sense of duty toward our country and society, holding fast to our ideals with a broad and compassionate heart.

Poem translator:

Kiang Kanghu

About the poet

Du Fu (杜甫), 712 - 770 AD, was a great poet of the Tang Dynasty, known as the "Sage of Poetry". Born into a declining bureaucratic family, Du Fu had a rough life, and his turbulent and dislocated life made him keenly aware of the plight of the masses. Therefore, his poems were always closely related to the current affairs, reflecting the social life of that era in a more comprehensive way, with profound thoughts and a broad realm. In his poetic art, he was able to combine many styles, forming a unique style of "profound and thick", and becoming a great realist poet in the history of China.