Line after line has flown back over the border.
Where are you headed all by yourself?
In the evening rain you call to them --
And slowly you alight on an icy pond.
The low wet clouds move faster than you
Along the wall toward the cold moon.
...If they caught you in a net or with a shot,
Would it be worse than flying alone?
Original Poem:
「孤雁」
崔涂
几行归塞尽， 片影独何之？
暮雨相呼失， 寒塘欲下迟。
渚云低暗渡， 关月冷相随。
未必逢矰缴， 孤飞自可疑。
Interpretation:
It can be imagined that the poet stood on the post building, looking far and wide, but see a few rows of geese, flying north, gradually, the geese line disappeared, leaving only a lone goose, circling in the air. The poet could not help but ask, where will you fly to? Borrowing the lonely geese to release the sadness.
Twilight rain, a lost flock of lonely geese circling in the air, calling for partners, the voice is extremely bleak. Bird’s-eye view of the pond under the rain curtain, because of the shadow of a single timid, so want to go down but ultimately do not dare to go down. Lone trace of self-frightened, hesitant and fearful demeanor, jumped off the page. And this is exactly the poet’s guest sadness in his hometown, lonely and unsupported self-portrait, such as Zhuangzi’s body into a butterfly, humane and humane.
Lone geese through the clouds with the moon, wings to fly, but still lonely shadow without a companion, desolate and lonely. Dark clouds turning ink, straight pressure on the small island, the atmosphere is horrible, the lonely geese flying alone, how heartbreaking it is ah! Thinking about the future, the only bend of the cold moon to follow.
Finally express the poet to the lonely geese is also to their own good wishes and contradictory mood. Although the lonely flight is not necessarily killed, but the loss of the flock can be suspected after all. The tone of voice is undoubtedly words of relief, but the feeling of worry is even stronger.
The whole poem is tightly focused on the word “lonely” to start, there is no idle pen, read the whole poem, still feel the aftertaste. Although the tone of the poem is sad and low, it is still a masterpiece of the era that expresses the mournful voice of the late Tang Dynasty.
Poem translator:
Kiang Kanghu
About the poet:
Cui Tu(崔涂), should be today’s China zhejiang tonglu, jiande area people. Xizong Guangqi bachelor, strong guest Bashu, the old tour of Longshan, so much to write travel sad work.
