Member Poem

Du Fu (712-770)

Moonlit Night, Thinking of My Younger Brothers

Border garrison drums

cut off the people from their travels

And nearing autumn,

a wild goose lets out a cry.

Through the night’s mist

there is whiteness:

A moon

that shines toward my hometown.

Having younger brothers,

all scattered apart,

Without a home—

a question of life and death.

Letters sent

do not arrive for a long time

And still,

the fighting has not yet stopped.

Dù Fǔ

Yuè yè yì shě dì

戍鼓斷人行，

戍鼓断人行，

Shù gǔ duàn rén xíng,

秋邊一雁聲。

秋边一雁声。

Qiū biān yī yàn shēng.

露從今夜白，

露从今夜白，

Lù cóng jīn yè bái,

月是故鄉明。

月是故乡明。

Yuè shì gù xiāng míng.

有弟皆分散，

有弟皆分散，

Yǒu dì jiē fēn sàn,

無家問死生。

无家问死生。

Wú jiā wèn sǐ shēng.

寄書長不達，

寄书长不达，

Jì shū cháng bù dá,

Kuàng nǎi wèi xiū bīng.

Birchleaf-pear-tree Man =Du Fu(712-770)

Moon night recollect/remember/memory residence/house younger-brother

[Moon night=moonlit night], [residence younger-brother= my younger brother, humble term]

戍鼓斷人行，

Garrison/defend-borders/guard-frontiers drum/to-drum/strike/beat cut-off/sever/break/snap/give-up people/man walk/go/move/travel

秋邊一雁聲。

Autumn/fall side/edge/margin/border/boundary one/a/single wild-goose sound/voice

露從今夜白，

Dew/syrup/nectar from/by/since/whence/through  this evening/night white/clear/snowy/pure/bright

月是故鄉明。

Moon is/to-be old/ancient town/village bright/clear

[old town=hometown, native place]

有弟皆分散，

Have/there-is/exist/to-be younger-brother all/each-an-every/everybody separate/divide distribute/scatter/disperse/break-up

[separate distribute=scatter, disperse]

無家問死生。

Not-have/none home/family ask-about/inqire-after death/die life/living

[death life= life or death, critical (event)]

寄書長不達，

Mail/send letter always/forever/ constantly/long/length not arrive/reach/attain

Moreover/furthermore only/thereupon/thus/so/then not-yet/have-not cease/rest/stop soldier

[cease soldier= cease fire, armistice, rested troops]