Long, long the pathway to Cold Hill;
Drear, drear the waterside so chill.
Chirp, chirp, I often hear the bird;
Mute, mute, nobody says a word.
Gust by gust winds caress my face;
Flake on flake snow covers all trace.
From day to day the sun won't swing;
From year to year I know no spring.
Original Poem:
「杳杳寒山道」
寒山
杳杳寒山道，落落冷涧滨。
啾啾常有鸟，寂寂更无人。
淅淅风吹面，纷纷雪积身。
朝朝不见日，岁岁不知春。
Interpretation:
This is a five-character ancient poem that vividly portrays the cold, quiet, and isolated environment of the mountains, with an underlying expression of the poet’s detached attitude towards the world. The poem inherits the style of the Six Dynasties Yuefu folk songs, with clear and simple language that is easy to understand. Though the poem describes the natural landscape, it subtly reflects on human emotions. The poet, Han Shan, was a famous Buddhist monk during the Tang Dynasty's Zhenguan era. He resided for a long time in the Cold Rock Monastery on Mount Tiantai, and his poems, numbering over six hundred, were engraved on the surrounding mountain stones and bamboo. This poem is one of his most widely circulated works.
First Couplets: Describing the Mountain and Water
“The mountain path is deep and dark, and the cold streamside is desolate and quiet. ”
The first couplet sets the tone by describing the cold, isolated environment. The repetition of “yao yao” (deep and remote) and “luo luo” (desolate and lonely) enhances the sense of cold and emptiness, immediately immersing the reader in a chilling atmosphere. The imagery of dark, distant mountain paths and quiet, barren stream banks introduces the setting’s desolation and melancholy.
Second Couplets: Depicting the Silence of the Mountains
“There are often birds chirping, yet the surroundings remain completely silent, with no one in sight. ”
The second couplet uses the sound of birds (“jiu jiu” chirping) to contrast with the surrounding silence and desolation. This contrast emphasizes the stillness and solitude of the mountain, where the sounds of nature are the only reminder of life, yet even these sounds are sparse and distant, underscoring the eerie quietness.
Third Couplets: Describing the Harsh Mountain Climate
“The wind blows against my face, and the snow piles up on my body. ”
In the third couplet, the poet turns to the harsh and cold mountain climate, describing the wind and snow with onomatopoeic words such as “xi xi” (the sound of wind) and “fen fen” (the fluttering snow). The cold wind cutting against the skin and the snow accumulating on the body evoke the harshness and extremity of the environment, intensifying the feeling of coldness that permeates the poem.
Final Couplets: Reflecting the Poet’s Inner Feelings
“I see no sunlight from morning to night, and I am unaware of the passing of spring year after year. ”
The final couplet shifts the focus to the poet’s internal state, expressing a sense of detachment from the world and the passing of time. The repetition of “chao chao” (morning by morning) and “sui sui” (year by year) emphasizes the endless passage of time without any change or connection to the seasons, highlighting the poet's inner numbness and indifference. The absence of sunlight and the lack of awareness of spring suggest emotional isolation, akin to a heart as cold and stagnant as a dried-up well.
Overall Appreciation
The poem uses detailed descriptions of the cold, quiet mountain environment to reflect the poet’s emotions of isolation and detachment. The use of repetition, especially with double words, is a distinctive feature of the poem. It creates a rhythmic flow and adds a sense of harmony to the poem, while also enhancing its emotional impact. The repetition of words like "yao yao," "luo luo," and "xi xi" contributes to the poem's musical beauty, creating a sense of continuity and smoothness. Through this technique, the poet conveys a profound feeling of solitude and coldness that is ever-present in the natural world, as well as in the poet’s heart.
The poem's structure, with repeated sounds and balanced phrases, not only adds to its aesthetic beauty but also intensifies the emotional tone, giving it a sense of unbroken continuity. The use of double words emphasizes the slow passage of time and the poet's focus on the unchanging, cold environment. This repetition mirrors the poet’s thoughts, which seem to loop endlessly, just like the never-ending natural cycles. Overall, the poem presents a powerful emotional landscape, using nature as a mirror for the poet’s inner world, and it carries a deeply reflective, almost meditative quality.
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.
