Like rugged hills hangs gilt-edged cloud;
The sunset sheds departing ray.
The wicket gate with birds is loud,
When I come back from far away.
At my appearance starts my wife;
Then calming down, she melts in tears.Happy,
I come back still in life,
While people drift in bitter years.
My neighbors look over the wall;
They sigh and from their eyes tears stream.
When night comes, candles light the hall;
We sit face to face as in dream.
Original Poem:
「羌村 · 其一」
杜甫
峥嵘赤云西，日脚下平地。
柴门鸟雀噪，归客千里至。
妻孥怪我在，惊定还拭泪。
世乱遭飘荡，生还偶然遂。
邻人满墙头，感叹亦嘘欷。
夜阑更秉烛，相对如梦寐。
Interpretation:
In the second year of the Zhide era (757 AD), Du Fu was exiled to Fuzhou after offending Emperor Suzong with his candid speech. During the tumultuous An-Shi Rebellion, he endured hardships and displacement before finally reuniting with his family in Qiang Village. The “Three Poems of Qiang Village” were composed during this time, and this is the first poem in the series. It vividly depicts the bittersweet emotions of reuniting with loved ones amidst chaos.
First Couplet: “峥嵘赤云西，日脚下平地。”
(The crimson clouds in the western sky rise like steep cliffs, and the evening sun's rays spill over the flat earth.)
The poet captures the grandeur of dusk with red clouds and the setting sun, subtly expressing the excitement of returning home.
Second Couplet:“柴门鸟雀噪，归客千里至。”
(Sparrows chirp noisily at the gate; the weary traveler has finally returned from a thousand miles away.)
The chirping birds set a scene of rural desolation, while “a thousand miles away” emphasizes both the joy and exhaustion of returning home, reflecting the poet’s complex emotions after a long absence.
Third Couplet:“妻孥怪我在，惊定还拭泪。”
(My wife and children, startled to see me alive, composed themselves and wiped away tears of joy.)
This couplet highlights the rarity of reunion amidst chaos, as well as the poignant mixture of surprise and happiness at the moment of seeing each other again.
Fourth Couplet:“世乱遭飘荡，生还偶然遂。”
(In this chaotic world, I have wandered and suffered, and surviving to this day feels like a stroke of luck.)
The poet speaks directly about the hardships of the era, combining the bitterness of displacement with the gratitude of survival.
Fifth Couplet:“邻人满墙头，感叹亦嘘欷。”
(Neighbors gather at the low walls, sighing and lamenting.)
Through the reactions of the villagers, the poet reflects the shared hardship and collective emotions of a community affected by the war, highlighting the preciousness of reunion.
Sixth Couplet:“夜阑更秉烛，相对如梦寐。”
(Late into the night, we sit by candlelight, staring at each other in disbelief as if in a dream.)
This tender depiction of family sitting together deep into the night conveys a profound sense of gratitude and disbelief at their reunion, emphasizing the fragility of joy in turbulent times.
Literary Features
- Plain and Simple Style: The poem uses unadorned language to depict ordinary life details, creating a powerful emotional resonance.
- Fusion of Scene and Emotion: The description of natural scenery, such as red clouds and bird calls, subtly conveys the poet’s inner feelings, blending imagery with emotion seamlessly.
- Layered Structure: The narrative progresses from the journey home to the family reunion, then to the neighbors’ reactions, and finally to the quiet night, building up emotions step by step.
- Profound Sentiment: Phrases like “怪我在” (startled to see me alive) and “偶然遂” (surviving feels like a stroke of luck) encapsulate deep emotions in just a few words, expressing the poet’s sorrow and relief.
Overall Appreciation
Through three vivid scenes—chirping birds at the gate, family reunion, and villagers’ gathering—the poet encapsulates the sorrow and joy of reuniting with loved ones in a time of turmoil. These seemingly mundane details are imbued with profound emotional depth, revealing the hardships of life during the rebellion. Du Fu’s precise attention to detail, such as the wife and children’s startled reaction and the neighbors’ sighs, vividly portrays the lived reality of ordinary people in chaotic times. His restrained yet evocative narration captures a fusion of sorrow and warmth, leaving readers deeply moved by the fragility of joy in the face of life’s uncertainties.
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.
