Poetry is an ancient form. It has arguably walked with man since man first troubles itself to speak. It is a rich heritage, of which we should be proud bearers–and today’s poet is one of the older samples of that heritage yet featured on this segment. Tu Fu stands among one of the most prominent Chinese Poets, and this stands as the case nearly 1500 years after his death–for his poetry has survived since the First Century A.D. And that, mind you, is quite an achievement itself. For nearly 1500 years, nearly a likewise number of poems have been accredited to him, and survived–the man could practically have his own library, no?
This said, much of what is known of Tu Fu today is what is preserved and gleaned from those very writings. He was a traveler, this much is known, despite his own best efforts–though once he longed to be one of the multitude of China’s civil servants of the day, he failed his exam, and took to honing his art.
It was an art that flowered on the chaos of the times–a time of rebellion, which disrupted the Chinese Empire and cast its subjects into the grips of war for nearly eight years. Tu Fu wrote of the horrors therein, wrote of the lives he saw around him–almost, it seemed at times, to distract himself from his own misfortunes. At one point, when the emperor was forced to abdicate and flee, Tu Fu, apparently prizing the safety of his family, attempted to flee with them to greener pastures–only to be captured by the rebels. Yet he would survive. He and his family would persevere, and what’s more, he would never cease his writing–even when he contracted malaria. It becomes readily apparent that Tu Fu was a strong soul, and an observant one. He captured almost sixty years of the land that China once had been, and remains today jewel in the eyes of poets and historians alike.
Today, we offer up one of his poems for your consumption: Alone, Looking for Blossoms Along the River. May you enjoy the translation.
Alone, Looking for Blossoms Along the River
The sorrow of riverside blossoms inexplicable,
And nowhere to complain — I’ve gone half crazy.
I look up our southern neighbor. But my friend in wine
Gone ten days drinking. I find only an empty bed.
A thick frenzy of blossoms shrouding the riverside,
I stroll, listing dangerously, in full fear of spring.
Poems, wine — even this profusely driven, I endure.
Arrangements for this old, white-haired man can wait.
A deep river, two or three houses in bamboo quiet,
And such goings on: red blossoms glaring with white!
Among spring’s vociferous glories, I too have my place:
With a lovely wine, bidding life’s affairs bon voyage.
Looking east to Shao, its smoke filled with blossoms,
I admire that stately Po-hua wineshop even more.
To empty golden wine cups, calling such beautiful
Dancing girls to embroidered mats — who could bear it?
East of the river, before Abbot Huang’s grave,
Spring is a frail splendor among gentle breezes.
In this crush of peach blossoms opening ownerless,
Shall I treasure light reds, or treasure them dark?
At Madame Huang’s house, blossoms fill the paths:
Thousands, tens of thousands haul the branches down.
And butterflies linger playfully — an unbroken
Dance floating to songs orioles sing at their ease.
I don’t so love blossoms I want to die. I’m afraid,
Once they are gone, of old age still more impetuous.
And they scatter gladly, by the branchful. Let’s talk
Things over, little buds —open delicately, sparingly.
wow…what a wonderful poet..really esp. love that the historians value his work of writing poetry and mirroring 60 years of the history of his country.. think it would be totally interesting to read the history books and parallel his poetry.. what terrific insight would this bring… thank you chris… you let me discover people i never would’ve stumbled upon otherwise..
Ah – such a pretty poem, Chris. k.
dang…pretty poem? its brutal at points but that is life and its cool knowing the cultural background as well as it adds perspective….some interesting contrasts within the verse…this is def one that i probably never would have stumbled on myself…
New Poet…New Poem…and after a long day that equals awesomeness! Am wondering how these translations and interpretations work? Certainly they aren’t translated word for word…or are they? My brain is near fried, so forgive me if I’m having a duh moment…
I’m so glad I came here today Chris. I’ve never heard of this poet and am delighted to be introduced. This was a lovely poem and you’ve whetted my appetite to read more of his work.
Ditto all that has been said already … it was delightful to arrive here tonight and discover a new poet and poetry I had never seen before. I too am interested in knowing how the translation process works – is it paraphrasing mostly or pretty close to the original work? I’m just curious. The work here is beautiful, historic and poignant but I am guessing to translate from the original Chinese (Mandarin would it be?) would be painstaking and almost impossible … In any case, it was very nice to find and I thank you Chris, for the treat.
Empty bed…? Some start it is… a lovely piece of poetry which sprinkles enough life to keep it realistic. Thanks for translating this one for us or else I would have definitely missed this one.
Hugs xoxo
Not the least bit esoteric, Tu Fu communicates with flourish as well as fact. The style is quite pleasing to me, and the story, the message, delightful as a read.
Let’s talk
Things over, little buds —open delicately, sparingly.
Please! Slow, but not down so far as old age. Thank you for the introduction.
Usuzumi Sakura is one of the oldest cherry blossom trees in Japan and is said to have been planted in 487 AD. It can be found in Neo village, which is located amongst the beautiful mountains of Gifu Prefecture. The tree is said to be one of the three largest cherry blossom trees in Japan and is reported to be the oldest cherry blossom tree in Japan. This unique cherry blossom initially sprouts pale pink flowers, which become white in full bloom. The tree has been appointed as a National Natural Monument of Japan and is one of the great places to visit in Gifu Prefecture. Here is a picture of the magnificent tree, which is over 1,500 years old, stands 17.2 meters in height, and 9.2 meters in circumference.