In early winter noble sons of household good
Blended with water in Chentao mires their pure blood.
No more war cry under the sky on the vast plain,
In one day forty thousand loyal warriors slain.
The enemy came back with blood-stained arrows long;
They drank in market place and shouted barbarous song.
Our countrymen turned north their faces bathed in tears;
Day and night they expect the royal cavaliers.
Original Poem:
「悲陈陶」
杜甫
孟冬十郡良家子，血作陈陶泽中水。
野旷天清无战声，四万义军同日死。
群胡归来血洗箭，仍唱胡歌饮都市。
都人回面向北啼，日夜更望官军至。
Interpretation:
This poem was written in the winter of 756 AD, during the first year of the reign of Emperor Suzong of Tang. It relates to the Battle of Chen Tao, where the Tang army was heavily defeated by the An Shi Rebellion forces. The battle resulted in over 40,000 casualties, mostly from soldiers hailing from the ten northwest counties (present-day Shaanxi). The brutal scene of this defeat deeply affected Du Fu, who was stuck in Chang'an at the time, witnessing the cruelty of the rebels and feeling the weight of the tragedy that unfolded.
First Couplet:
孟冬十郡良家子，血作陈陶泽中水。
(In the early winter, young men from ten counties, from respected families, died on the battlefield, and their blood stained the waters of Chen Tao’s marsh.)
This line sets the tone by emphasizing the magnitude of the tragedy. It speaks to the noble origin of the soldiers and the overwhelming loss of life in such a catastrophic defeat.
Second Couplet:
野旷天清无战声，四万义军同日死。
(After the battle, the fields are desolate and the sky clear, with no sound of war; 40,000 righteous soldiers died on the same day.)
Here, Du Fu shares his personal feeling of the desolation that follows the battle. The empty, silent battlefield amplifies the gravity of the death toll, creating a mournful atmosphere that seems to involve nature itself in the mourning process.
Third Couplet:
群胡归来血洗箭，仍唱胡歌饮都市。
(The barbarian forces return, their arrows soaked in blood, and they sing their native songs as they drink in the city.)
This line describes the arrogance and triumph of the rebels after their victory, showing how they desecrate the city and mock the fallen by reveling in their conquest.
Fourth Couplet:
都人回面向北啼，日夜更望官军至。
(The people of the city turn their faces northward and weep, day and night, waiting for the imperial army to arrive.)
This line depicts the sorrow of the people in Chang'an, whose hopes rest on the return of the imperial army. The repetition of "day and night" emphasizes their continuous longing and despair.
Writing Features
The poem uses powerful and somber language, conveying a deep sense of loss and grief through vivid and poignant depictions of the battlefield and the people left behind. The poet moves from describing the fallen soldiers to the defeated city of Chang'an, and the helplessness of the citizens, thus capturing the full scale of the devastation brought by the rebellion. Each line is imbued with the poet’s deep empathy for the nation’s suffering and its people’s despair.
Overall Appreciation
In this poem, Du Fu does not merely depict the catastrophic failure at the Battle of Chen Tao; he conveys the emotional weight of this tragedy with profound empathy. Rather than just objectively describing the battle's aftermath, Du Fu focuses on the personal losses, the silent suffering of the citizens, and the hopelessness that hangs over the land. The poem shifts from the graphic depiction of soldiers' sacrifice to the reaction of the people in the capital, thus capturing the full emotional spectrum of the war. Du Fu's language and imagery evoke both the sorrow of the present and the mourning for a lost future.
Insight
Du Fu’s poem shows not only his mastery of language but also his capacity to reflect on the larger social and national implications of war. He conveys a sense of personal and collective tragedy, focusing not just on the physical devastation but also on the deep emotional toll it took on both the soldiers and the citizens. The poem reminds us of the universal themes of loss, despair, and the yearning for hope in the face of great suffering. It teaches us to approach tragedy with both compassion and reflection, recognizing the resilience of the human spirit amidst overwhelming adversity.
Poem translator:
Xu Yuan-chong (许渊冲)
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.
