On a part of a spear still unrusted in the sand
I have burnished the symbol of an ancient kingdom...
Except for a wind aiding General Zhou Yu,
Spring would have sealed both Qiao girls in CopperBird Palace.
Original Poem:
「赠别二首 · 其一」
杜牧
娉娉袅袅十三余，豆蔻梢头二月初。
春风十里扬州路，卷上珠帘总不如。
Interpretation:
Because of the disillusionment of Yangzhou bureaucratic life, the poet will be farewell to Yangzhou, giving poems to the courtesan, in order to express the friendship, this song and the other song of the same title, are deep and sincere. One of them focuses on celebrating the beauty of the poem, and the other favors the farewell.
In the first line, “gracefully curling” describes the gracefulness of her body, and “more than thirteen” describes her age. Seven words and no reference, no noun, but gives a complete and specific, vivid and beautiful impression, graceful and beautiful girl as if in front of us.
The second sentence is about “cardamom”, which is a flower metaphor for a woman. Southern people pick the budding, beautiful name “with tire flower”, a metaphor for virgins. Poet to “early February” of the cardamom to compare the wonderful age of “more than thirteen” of the little singer, both image beautiful and appropriate.
The third line renders the grandeur of the luxurious metropolis, giving people a sense of being in the hustle and bustle of the ten-mile-long street. Yangzhou City is full of singing and dancing buildings, with beautiful women like clouds, how many pearl curtains are rolled up, and how many beautiful women with red shirts and green sleeves are inside the curtains.
The whole first twenty-eight words, written by the lover to the flower, written by the flower to the spring city downtown, and written by the downtown to the beauty, and the beauty of the ring arch lover. The writing is so skillful and light that it is exquisite.
Poem translator:
Kiang Kanghu
About the poet:
Du Mu (杜牧), 803-853 AD, was a native of Xi’an, Shaanxi Province. Among the poets of the Late Tang Dynasty, he was one of those who had his own characteristics, and later people called Li Shangyin and Du Mu as “Little Li and Du”. His poems are bright and colorful.
