North of me, south of me, spring is in flood,
Day after day I have seen only gulls....
My path is full of petals -- I have swept it for no others.
My thatch gate has been closed -- but opens now for you.
It's a long way to the market, I can offer you little --
Yet here in my cottage there is old wine for our cups.
Shall we summon my elderly neighbour to join us,
Call him through the fence, and pour the jar dry?
Original Poem:
「客至」
杜甫
舍南舍北皆春水， 但见群鸥日日来。
花径不曾缘客扫， 蓬门今始为君开。
盘飧市远无兼味， 樽酒家贫只旧醅。
肯与邻翁相对饮， 隔篱呼取尽余杯。
Interpretation:
This poem was written in the spring of 761 AD. The poet first came to Chengdu, no relatives around the Cao Tang, flower paths are not swept, the door is often closed, and the field father and wild old man to go back and forth, now there is a friend to visit, the poet is naturally very happy.
The first line: the north and south of the grassy hall of green water, spring, only to see the gulls fly in groups day after day.
Write the scene around the Cao Tang and the time and place of the guest's visit. All around the Cao Tang, the spring water is rippling, the gulls are flying, the environment is free and the scenery is quiet. It is on this bright spring day that the guests come to visit the poet in the Cao Tang.
Nodal line: the courtyard path full of flowers and grasses has not been cleaned to welcome guests, just for your arrival, my grass door opened for the first time.
Guests visit, the poet with the tone of conversation with the guest to express: courtyard courtyard full of flowers and grass path has not been cleaned because of the guests, the implication is that in the past, few people come, they are not easy to welcome the guests. Today, the door of the house has always been closed for the guests to open, welcome your arrival. It shows the poet's respect for the guests and deep friendship.
Neck line: too far from the market plate no good dishes, the family is poor only every year old wine hospitality.
Write attentive hospitality. The poet said to the guest in an apologetic tone: “The Cao Tang is far away from the market, so it is inconvenient to buy things, and the dishes on the plate are simple and few in number; because of the family's poverty, it cannot afford to buy good wine, so it is only possible to entertain you with home-brewed old wine!” Homely words, human feelings, not only shows the life of Du Fu's predicament, but also shows the intimate, sincere friendship between the host and the guest.
The last couplet: If you are willing to drink with the old man in the neighboring house, then I will call him over the fence.
The poet's writing style is steeply changed, in the tone of consulting the guest's opinion, if you are willing to drink with the neighboring old man, immediately ask them to come over to drink with you. In the text is the peaks and valleys, in the context of a different way. The poet lived in the Cao Tang often with farmers, friendship.
This poem weaves the door outlook, the homely words, and the love around into an interesting scene of life, showing a strong flavor of life and human feelings.
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.
