Du Fu
A Life in Poetry
Published on 4. November 2008
Book
Paperback/Softback
256 pages
978-0-375-71160-2 (ISBN)
Description
Du Fu (712-770) is one of the undisputed geniuses of Chinese poetry—still universally admired and read thirteen centuries after his death. Now David Young, author of Black Lab, and well known as a translator of Chinese poets, gives us a sparkling new translation of Du Fu's verse, arranged to give us a tour of the life, each "chapter” of poems preceded by an introductory paragraph that situates us in place, time, and circumstance. What emerges is a portrait of a modest yet great artist, an ordinary man moving and adjusting as he must in troubled times, while creating a startling, timeless body of work.
Du Fu wrote poems that engaged his contemporaries and widened the path of the lyric poet. As his society—one of the world's great civilizations—slipped from a golden age into chaos, he wrote of the uncertain course of empire, the misfortunes and pleasures of his own family, the hard lives of ordinary people, the changing seasons, and the lives of creatures who shared his environment. As the poet chases chickens around the yard, observes tear streaks on his wife's cheek, or receives a gift of some shallots from a neighbor, Young's rendering brings Du Fu's voice naturally and elegantly to life.
I sing what comes to me
in ways both old and modern
my only audience right now—
nearby bushes and trees
elegant houses stand
in an elegant row, too many
if my heart turns to ashes
then that's all right with me . . .
from "Meandering River”
Du Fu wrote poems that engaged his contemporaries and widened the path of the lyric poet. As his society—one of the world's great civilizations—slipped from a golden age into chaos, he wrote of the uncertain course of empire, the misfortunes and pleasures of his own family, the hard lives of ordinary people, the changing seasons, and the lives of creatures who shared his environment. As the poet chases chickens around the yard, observes tear streaks on his wife's cheek, or receives a gift of some shallots from a neighbor, Young's rendering brings Du Fu's voice naturally and elegantly to life.
I sing what comes to me
in ways both old and modern
my only audience right now—
nearby bushes and trees
elegant houses stand
in an elegant row, too many
if my heart turns to ashes
then that's all right with me . . .
from "Meandering River”
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Dimensions
Height: 203 mm
Width: 132 mm
Thickness: 16 mm
Weight
324 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-375-71160-2 (9780375711602)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
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Content
1. Early Years in the East, 737–744
1. Writing Poems After Dinner at the Zuos’
2. On the Tower at Yanzhou
3. Gazing at Mount Tai
4. Fang’s Amazing Horse
5. A Painting of a Falcon
6. A Winter Visit to the Temple of “His Mystical Majesty” North of Luoyang
7. Mr. Song’s Deserted Villa
8. Visiting the Fengxian Monastery
9. For Li Bai
10–11. I Write Two Poems On the Wall at Zhang’s
12. Feast at Stone Gate with Liu and Zheng
13. To Li Bai
14. Li Bai and I Visit the Hermit Fan
2. Back at the Capital, 745–750
15. Thinking of Li Bai On a Winter Day
16. What a Night!
17. Remembering Li Bai On a Spring Day
18. Answer to a Letter From My Brother About the Floods
19. Eight Gods of the Wine Cup
20. Meipi Lake
21. Friendship
22. Farewell to Kong Chaofu
23–24. A Summer Outing
25. Leyou Park
3. War and Rebellion, 750–755
26. Song of the War Carts
27–30. From Serving at the Front
31–34. From Visiting General He
35. New Year’s Eve at Du Wei’s
36–38. From Back at General He’s
39. Climbing the Buddhist Pagoda
40–42. Meandering River
43. Gorgeous Women
44–46. Sighing Over the Autumn Rains
47. I Finally Get a Post
48. Five Hundred Words About My Journey to Fengxian
N
4. Trapped in the Capital, 756–758
49. Moonlight Night
50. The Battle at Chentao
51. Facing Snow
52. News of My Brothers
53. Spring Scene
54. Thinking of My Son
55. In the Abbot’s Cell
56. the Pengya Road
5. Reunion and Recovery, 758–759
57. Jade Flower Palace
58–60. Qiang Village Poems
61. From the Journey North
62–63. Meandering River
64. Too Much Heat and Too Much Work
65. Dreaming of Li Bai
66. In the City on Business I Meet One Friend and We Spend the Night Eating and Drinking At the House of Another
6. On the Move, 759
67. Thinking of My Brothers On a Moonlit Night
68–71. Qinzhou Poems
72. Thirty Bundles of Shallots
73. Abbot Zan
74. New Moon
75. Looking Out at the Plain
76. She Thinks of Him While Pounding Laundry
77. The Cricket
78. Leaving Qinzhou
79–85. The Tonggu Songs
86. Leaving Tonggu
7. Thatched Cottage, 759–762
87. Chengdu City
88. Siting a House
89. I Become a Farmer
90. River Village
91. Poling a Skiff
92. A Guest
93. Retirement
94. I Am a Madman
95. An Autumn Storm and Our Thatched Roof
96. Rain on a Spring Night
97–103. Seven For the Flowers Near the River
104–112. Random Feelings
113. Sundown Song
8. More Disruptions, 762–765
114. At Fengji Station: Second Farewell to Yan Wu
115. Song of My Friendship With Vice Prefect Yan
116. Sent to Be Written on the Wall of My Thatched Cottage
117. Good News About the War
118. Two Swallows
119. Saying Good-Bye at Fang Guan’s Grave
120. Climbing the Tower
121. Spending the Night at Headquarters
122. Weary Night
123–126. From Spring in the River Village
9. East to Kuizhou, 765–766
127. Farewell to Mr. Zhang
128. Moving to Kuizhou City
129. The Women Who Gather Firewood
130. The Tied-Up Chickens
131. Song For an Ancient Cypress
132. Overnight at the River Pavilion
133. Watching the Rain From the West Apartment
134–141. Autumn Thoughts
142. Filling in the Time
143. A Parrot
144. Night at the West Apartment
145. Old and Sick
10. the Gentleman Farmer, 767–768
146–147. Spring
148. Watching Fireflies
149–153. Five Poems on the Autumn Fields
154–155. Back and Forth Between Nang-West and East Village
156. Thinking About My Brother
157. September Full Moon
158. Note for Mr. Wu
159. From a Height
160. Drunk, I Fell Off My Horse
161. Deaf
162–163. Thoughts and Feelings
164. Giving Away My Orchard
11. Last Days
165. Night Thoughts Traveling
166. Drinking in the Library
167. Mourning Li Zhifang
168. Yueyang Tower
169. White Horse
170. Ready to Go
Acknowledgments
Selected Bibliography
1. Writing Poems After Dinner at the Zuos’
2. On the Tower at Yanzhou
3. Gazing at Mount Tai
4. Fang’s Amazing Horse
5. A Painting of a Falcon
6. A Winter Visit to the Temple of “His Mystical Majesty” North of Luoyang
7. Mr. Song’s Deserted Villa
8. Visiting the Fengxian Monastery
9. For Li Bai
10–11. I Write Two Poems On the Wall at Zhang’s
12. Feast at Stone Gate with Liu and Zheng
13. To Li Bai
14. Li Bai and I Visit the Hermit Fan
2. Back at the Capital, 745–750
15. Thinking of Li Bai On a Winter Day
16. What a Night!
17. Remembering Li Bai On a Spring Day
18. Answer to a Letter From My Brother About the Floods
19. Eight Gods of the Wine Cup
20. Meipi Lake
21. Friendship
22. Farewell to Kong Chaofu
23–24. A Summer Outing
25. Leyou Park
3. War and Rebellion, 750–755
26. Song of the War Carts
27–30. From Serving at the Front
31–34. From Visiting General He
35. New Year’s Eve at Du Wei’s
36–38. From Back at General He’s
39. Climbing the Buddhist Pagoda
40–42. Meandering River
43. Gorgeous Women
44–46. Sighing Over the Autumn Rains
47. I Finally Get a Post
48. Five Hundred Words About My Journey to Fengxian
N
4. Trapped in the Capital, 756–758
49. Moonlight Night
50. The Battle at Chentao
51. Facing Snow
52. News of My Brothers
53. Spring Scene
54. Thinking of My Son
55. In the Abbot’s Cell
56. the Pengya Road
5. Reunion and Recovery, 758–759
57. Jade Flower Palace
58–60. Qiang Village Poems
61. From the Journey North
62–63. Meandering River
64. Too Much Heat and Too Much Work
65. Dreaming of Li Bai
66. In the City on Business I Meet One Friend and We Spend the Night Eating and Drinking At the House of Another
6. On the Move, 759
67. Thinking of My Brothers On a Moonlit Night
68–71. Qinzhou Poems
72. Thirty Bundles of Shallots
73. Abbot Zan
74. New Moon
75. Looking Out at the Plain
76. She Thinks of Him While Pounding Laundry
77. The Cricket
78. Leaving Qinzhou
79–85. The Tonggu Songs
86. Leaving Tonggu
7. Thatched Cottage, 759–762
87. Chengdu City
88. Siting a House
89. I Become a Farmer
90. River Village
91. Poling a Skiff
92. A Guest
93. Retirement
94. I Am a Madman
95. An Autumn Storm and Our Thatched Roof
96. Rain on a Spring Night
97–103. Seven For the Flowers Near the River
104–112. Random Feelings
113. Sundown Song
8. More Disruptions, 762–765
114. At Fengji Station: Second Farewell to Yan Wu
115. Song of My Friendship With Vice Prefect Yan
116. Sent to Be Written on the Wall of My Thatched Cottage
117. Good News About the War
118. Two Swallows
119. Saying Good-Bye at Fang Guan’s Grave
120. Climbing the Tower
121. Spending the Night at Headquarters
122. Weary Night
123–126. From Spring in the River Village
9. East to Kuizhou, 765–766
127. Farewell to Mr. Zhang
128. Moving to Kuizhou City
129. The Women Who Gather Firewood
130. The Tied-Up Chickens
131. Song For an Ancient Cypress
132. Overnight at the River Pavilion
133. Watching the Rain From the West Apartment
134–141. Autumn Thoughts
142. Filling in the Time
143. A Parrot
144. Night at the West Apartment
145. Old and Sick
10. the Gentleman Farmer, 767–768
146–147. Spring
148. Watching Fireflies
149–153. Five Poems on the Autumn Fields
154–155. Back and Forth Between Nang-West and East Village
156. Thinking About My Brother
157. September Full Moon
158. Note for Mr. Wu
159. From a Height
160. Drunk, I Fell Off My Horse
161. Deaf
162–163. Thoughts and Feelings
164. Giving Away My Orchard
11. Last Days
165. Night Thoughts Traveling
166. Drinking in the Library
167. Mourning Li Zhifang
168. Yueyang Tower
169. White Horse
170. Ready to Go
Acknowledgments
Selected Bibliography