Year: 
2011
This is a poem Du Fu (712-770 AD) wrote after his friend and fellow great Tang-dynasty poet, Li Bai (701-762 AD), was exiled from government to the southern frontier.

In the poem, he first compares the sorrow of parting with the dead to the sorrow of parting with an old friend. He has not heard any news from Li Bai in his exile, but sees him in a dream. He wonders if his friend’s spirit has parted from the body and becomes fearful for his life. After Li Bai’s spirit comes and goes, Du Fu reflects on his friend’s precarious situation and cautions him to sate or appease the water dragon, symbolizing the emperor and the enemies made in government.

Translation

By Du Fu
杜甫
Dream of Li Bai #1
夢李白之一




Parting with the dead
we swallow
our cries

死別
Parting with the living
we often
fill with sorrow

生別
惻惻
***


From the Yangzi’s south,
that land
infested with malaria

江南
瘴癘
I’ve heard no news
from the exiled traveler

逐客
無消息
***


My old friend
entered
a dream

故人
我夢
Bright and clear—
your appearance
I recall

明我
長相
You’re now
stuck
in a net of gauze

君今
羅網
So how
did you get
your wings?

何以
羽翼
I’m fearful it’s not
a living soul

恐非
平生魂
The road is so distant
we cannot
measure it

路遠
可測
Your spirit came
from a maple forest
green

魂來
楓林
And your spirit returns
to a frontier fortress
dark

魂返
關塞
The moon
fills my room
to the beams

落月
滿屋
And I wonder still
if it’s showing
the color of your face

猶疑
顏色
***


The water is deep
and the waves are wild
and broad

水深
波浪
I caution you
to appease
the water dragon

無使
蛟龍

Original Chinese

Traditional
Simplified
Pronunciation



杜甫
杜甫
Dù Fǔ
夢李白之一
梦李白之一
Mèng Li Bái Zhī Yī



死別已聲,
声,
Sǐ bié // yǐ tūn shēng,
生別常惻惻。
恻恻
Shēng bié // cháng cè cè.
江南瘴癘地,
江南瘴地,
Jiāng nán // zhàng lì de,
逐客無消息。
逐客无消息。
Zhú kè // wú xiāo xi.
故人入我夢,
故人入我梦,
Gù rén // rù wǒ mèng,
明我長相憶;
明我
Míng wǒ // zhǎng xiàng yì;
君今在羅網,
君今在网,
Jūn jīn // zài luó wǎng,
何以有羽翼?
何以有羽翼?
Hé yǐ // yǒu yǔyì?
恐非平生魂,
恐非平生魂,
Kǒng fēi // píng shēng hún,
路遠不可測。
不可
Lù yuǎn // bù kě cè.
魂來楓林青,
魂来林青,
Hún lái // fēng lín qīng,
魂返關塞黑;
魂返塞黑;
Hún fǎn // guān sài hēi;
落月滿屋梁,
落月屋梁,
Luò yuè // mǎn wū liáng,
猶疑照顏色。
犹疑照色。
Yóu yí // zhào yán sè.
水深波浪闊,
水深波浪
Shuǐ shēn // bō làng kuò,
無使蛟龍得。
无使蛟得。
Wú shǐ // jiāo lóng dé.

Literal Translation

杜甫
Stop Begin [Du Fu (712-770 AD))
夢李白之一
Dream Plum White # 1
[Plum White = Li Bai (701-762 AD)]


死別已聲,
Dead part stop swallow voice
[dead part = parted by death; swallow voice = swallow one’s cries]
生別常惻惻。
Living part often feel-anguish feel-compassion


江南瘴癘地,
Yangzi south malaria-vapors pestilent land
[malaria-vapors pestilent = malaria]
逐客無消息。
Expel traveler have-no vanish cease
[expel traveler = exiled; vanish cease = news]


故人入我夢,
Old man enter my dream
[old man = old friend]
明我長相憶;
Bright/clear I/us long mutual remember
[long mutual = appearance/looks]
君今在羅網,
You now in gauze net
何以有羽翼?
How therefore have feather wings?
[how therefore = whence]
恐非平生魂,
Fearful not peaceful living soul
[peaceful living = all one’s life]
路遠不可測。
Road distant not can measure
魂來楓林青,
Spirit come maple-tree forest green
魂返關塞黑;
Spirit return frontier pass dark/black
[frontier pass = border fort]
落月滿屋梁,
Drop moon fill house beams/rafters
猶疑照顏色。
Like/as question illuminate face color
[like/as question = to hesitate; face color = color]


水深波浪闊,
Water deep waves reckless wide/broad
[waves reckless = wave]
無使蛟龍得。
No instruct/send scaly-dragon dragon obtain/contented
[scaly-dragon dragon = a legendary dragon with the ability to control rain and floods. A dragon also symbolizes the emperor.]