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[orchid_dreams]

绝句 -- 杜甫

两个黄鹂鸣翠柳，
一行白鹭上青天。
窗前西岭千秋雪，
门泊东吴万里船。

Translation:
(a four line poem with seven characters each line) by Du Fu
two yellowbirds chirp in the green willow
one row of egret fly into the blue sky
outside the window, a thousand years of snow lies on the western mountains
in front of the door, ten thousand miles of boats float in the "Dong Wu"* harbour

*Dong Wu -- an area in China. "dong" means "eastern", so it is opposite of "western" in the third line. And "wu" matches "mountains" in the third line.

Note how this poem is like two couplets joined together, this is one of the structures of a traditional four line poem. This poem paints a vivid picture of early spring where the poet is on a boat and describes the scenery outside.

[orchid_dreams]

here's a quick background info about Du Fu:

Du Fu 杜甫 (子美) , was born in 712AD in Henan Province into a Confucian family. He wrote a lot of poems about the suffering of poor people and also some on small object and topics. He was especially talented at five character, seven character long poems. He has lefted over 1400 poems. Du Fu died in 770AD.

杜甫（712-770）字子美，河南巩县人，出生于“奉儒守官”的地主家庭。杜甫是一个创作天地很广阔的诗人。现存诗一千四百多首。他善于表现重大的主题，也善于描写细小的事物，题材是多方面的。无论五言、七言、古体、近体，都特别出色，又能融合前人艺术的各种长处，形成自己的独特风格。杜甫在我国诗歌发展史上所作出的贡献是巨大的，他对后世的影响是深远的。

[nguoiVietchanhtong]

In Vietnamese, he is Do (Vietnamese last name) Phu, and his poems were somewhat known and popular in Vietnam literature.

[orchid_dreams]

In Vietnamese, he is Do (Vietnamese last name) Phu, and his poems were somewhat known and popular in Vietnam literature.

yeah, he could be seen as the best and most influential poet, so he's quite famous...

[orchid_dreams]

蜀相 -- 杜甫

丞相祠堂何处寻，锦官城外柏森森。
映阶碧草自春色，隔叶黄鹂空好音。
三顾频烦天下计，两朝开济老臣心。
出师未捷身先死，长使英雄泪满襟。

Translation:
prime minister of Shu* by Du Fu
Where do you find the prime minister's ancestral temple
Outside the JinGuan* city walls cypress thickly grew
Green grass of the spring colours the steps
Yellow birds chirp by themselves inside the leaves
Three calls he took over the entire state's affairs
For two generations he gave his true heart
But before he claimed victory he was dead
This frequently made heros weep with tears all over their garments

Notes:
*prime minister of Shu -- this is meant to be for Zhu GeLiang, for those of you who haven't read the Romance of the Three Kingdoms or San Guo Zhi, he was the "prime minister" of Shu
*JinGuan -- place where his temple is

Again notice how the middle two lines are like couplets. This is the structure of a "regular verse" (律诗).

[orchid_dreams]

春望 -- 杜甫

国破山河在，城春草木深。
感时花溅泪，恨别鸟惊心。
烽火连三月，家书抵万金。
白头搔更短，浑欲不胜簪。

Translation:
Spring outlook by Du Fu
Although the country's torn apart, rivers and mountains still stand there
The spring arrives and shrubs and grass grow around the city walls
Where touched flowers shed tears
And lonely bird's break their heart
The war-fires have carried on for three months
And a letter from home is worth tons of gold
My white hair have been scratched so short
That it can not bear a hairpin anymore

The poet wrote this poem in 757AD after the An LuShan rebellion broke out. This was written in Chang'an, in the rebels' camps. This is a regular verse with five characters in each line. Again the for middle lines form couplets.

[orchid_dreams]

闻官军收复河南河北 -- 杜甫

剑外忽传收蓟北，初闻涕泪满衣裳。
却看妻子愁何在，漫卷诗书喜欲狂。
白日放歌须纵酒，青春作伴好还乡。
即从巴峡穿巫峡，便下襄阳向洛阳。

Translation:
Hearing the government reoccupy Henan and Hebei by Du Fu
Outside Jianmen* suddenly delivers the message that Jibei* is reoccupied
When I first heard it I had tears all over my garment
And look at my wife, all her worries are gone
Casually roll up my books, so happy I'm nearly mad
In the daytime sing and drink wine
The spring can accompany us to travel back to our hometown
From Ba gorge* through to Wu gorge*
Then from Xiangyang* to Luoyang*

* Jianmen, Jibei, Ba gorge, Wugorge, Xiangyang, Luoyang -- are all places in China

[orchid_dreams]

望岳 -- 杜甫
岱宗夫如何？齐鲁青未了。
造化钟神秀，阴阳割昏晓。
荡胸生层云，决眦入归鸟。
会当凌绝顶，一览众山小。

Translation:
View of Mt. Tai by Du Fu
What shall I say of the Great Peak?
The ancient dukedoms are everywhere green
Inspired and stirred by the breath of creation
With the Twin Forces balancing day and night
My chest holds layers of clouds
I strain my sight to see the birds flying home
Once I get to the very top
All the other mountains will look very small

[orchid_dreams]

登高 -- 杜甫
风急天高猿啸哀，渚清沙白鸟飞回。
无边落木萧萧下，不尽长江滚滚来。
万里悲秋常作客，百年多病独登台。
艰难苦恨繁霜鬓，潦倒新停浊酒杯。

Traslation:
Ascend by Du Fu
In a sharp gale from the wide sky apes are whimpering
Over the clear lake and white sand birds are flying homeward
Immensity of leaves rustling fell
The never-ending Yangtze river rolling on
I have come thousands of miles miles away, sad now with autumn
And with my hundred years of woe, I climb this height alone.
Ill fortune has laid a bitter frost on my temples，
Heart-ache and weariness are a thick dust in my wine.

This is a regular verse with seven characters in each verse. Again the middle lines form two very strict couplets.

[orchid_dreams]

八阵图 -- 杜甫
功盖三分国，名成八阵图。
江流石不转，遗恨失吞吴。

Translation:
The eight-sided fortress by Du Fu
The Three Kingdoms, divided, have been bound by his greatness
The Eight-Sided Fortress is founded on his fame
Beside the changing river, it stands stony as his grief
That he never conquered the Kingdom of Wu

[orchid_dreams]

茅屋为秋风所破歌 -- 杜甫

八月秋高风怒号，卷我屋上三重茅。
茅飞渡江洒江郊，高者挂卷长林梢，
下者飘转沉塘坳。 南村群童欺我老无力，
忍能对面为盗贼？公然抱茅入竹去，
唇焦口燥呼不得。归来倚仗自叹息。
俄顷风定云墨色，秋天漠漠向昏黑。
布衾多年冷似铁，骄儿恶卧踏里裂。
床头屋漏无干处，雨脚如麻未断绝。
自经丧乱少睡眠，长夜沾湿何由彻！
安得广厦千万间，大庇天下寒士俱欢颜，
风雨不动安如山。呜呼！
眼前何时突兀见此屋，吾庐独破受冻死亦足。

Translation:

My Cottage Unroofed By Autumn Gales by Du Fu

In the eighth moon the autumn gales furiously howl;
They roll up three layers of straw from my thatched bower.
The straw flies across the river and spreads in shower,
Some hanging knotted on the tops of trees that tower,
Some swirling down and sinking into water foul.

Urchins from Southern Village know I'm old and weak;
They rob me to my face without a blush on cheek
And holding armfuls of straw, into bamboos sneak.
In vain I call them till my lips are parched and dry;
Again alone, I lean on my cane and sigh.

Shortly the gale subsides and clouds turn dark as ink;
The autumn skies are shrouded and in darkness sink.
My cotton quilt is cold; for years it has been worn;
My restless children kick in sleep and it is torn.
The roof leaks o'er beds, leaving no corner dry;
Without cease the rain falls thick and fast from the sky.
After the troubled times troubled has been my sleep.
Wet though, how can I pass the night so long, so deep!

Could I get mansions covering ten thousand miles,
I'd house all scholars poor and make them beam with smiles.
In wind and rain these mansions would stand like mountains high,
Alas! Should these house appear before my eye,
Frozen in my unroofed cot, content I'd die.

[Centaur]

Something from Du Fu Thatched Cottage:

[Sunyata]

《江畔独步寻花》
黄师塔前江水东，
春光懒困依微风。
桃花一簇开无主，
可爱深红爱浅红？

"Walking Along the Riverside Searching for Flowers"

In front of the Huangshi Pagoda the river flows to the East,
The Spring sun makes one lazy and tired,
relying on the subtle spring wind.
The Peach blossoms in a bunch as though there is no (root?)
Which are best the deep or light red flowers?

Hahaha, this is my first time trying to translate a poem, any help appreciated!!! Tried to look for a translation but couldn't find one.

This poem is known as one of some of the poems written after the AnLuShan Rebellion. They are known for their light heartdness in nature and his enjoyment in the wild or natural surroundings.

[orchid_dreams]

月夜 -- 杜甫

今夜鄜州月，闺中只独看。
遥怜小儿女，未解忆长安。
香雾云鬟湿，清辉玉臂寒。
何时倚虚幌，双照泪痕干。


Translation:

Night in the moonlight by Du Fu

Tonight's Fu Zhou* moon
Is lonely watched in the boudoir
Pity my young children
Doesn't understand to miss Chang'an*
Fragrant mist dampens her thick hair
Bright moonlight cools her pale skin
When can we sit under the moon together
And let the moonlight dry her tears.

*Fu Zhou is the place where Du Fu's wife and his children were
*Chang'an is where Du Fu is kept after being captured by the rebellions

This poem was written just after the An Lushan rebellion, when Du Fu left his family at Fu Zhou and went to join the Emperor Li Heng. He was captured by the rebellions on his way there and was kept in Chang'an. This poem was written to express his yearning for his family.

The poem is cleverly crafted -- not beginning with himself but describing a woman watching the moon (missing her husband) by herself. Why herself? Hasn't she got her children? Then it tells the reader -- "the children are still young, and doesn't understand to miss their father." The third couplet describes the woman, watching the moon. Then the last sentence finishes it off nicely, creating an atmosphere.

The whole poem is about the longing for family, yet every sentence still keeps itself on the title of the poem -- "Night in the moonlight".

[Non-Han Nan Ban]

Although some say he's just a bit overrated, I put Du Fu as one of my top 15 favorite writers of all time (not sure what place I would put him in, but he's up there).

Vivid and beautiful poetry,
Eric