With my wine-bottle, watching by river and lake
For a lady so tiny as to dance on my palm,
I awake, after dreaming ten years in Yangzhou,
Known as fickle, even in the Street of Blue Houses.
Original Poem:
「遣怀」
杜牧
落魄江湖载酒行，楚腰纤细掌中轻。
十年一觉扬州梦，赢得青楼薄幸名。
Interpretation:
This poem is a reminiscence of the poet’s life as a staff in Yangzhou.
The first and second lines recall the life in Yangzhou in the past: wandering in the rivers and lakes, with wine as a companion; green buildings and singing pavilions, beautiful girls, debauchery and unrestrained life.
On the surface, these two allusions are to praise the beauty of the Yangzhou singers, but the taste of the “down and out” can be seen, the author is extremely uneasy with the status quo of his own commissioned as a staff member, so the review of the past debauchery, not a little bit of feeling of complacency. Why?
The third sentence of the heartfelt sigh. “Ten years” and “a sleep” two compared to the formation of “long” and “rapid” contrast, more prominent The author’s deep emotion. And this is completely converged on the “Yangzhou dream” of the word “dream”: the former debauchery, indulgence in wine and sex; on the surface of the noisy and prosperous, but inside is full of melancholy and worry, heartbreaking, unbearable to look back. This is both the awakening of the sigh of sadness, but also why the author “to pay attention to” ten years of Yangzhou past the crux of the matter, a big dream.
The last is to say that even if they were once obsessed with the green house also blame themselves for the lack of righteousness and thin feelings. It is a further denial of the “Yangzhou dream”, the language seems to be playful and light-hearted, but in fact, it is melancholy and troublesome. How many decades are there in life? What have I done in my prime? There is really nothing to be fond of!
This poem is a statement of remorse, with a sense of sorrow in the midst of the indulgence.
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.
