[updated September 2022]
Sorrows For the Emperor’s Grandchildren
哀 王 孙
长 安 城 头 头 白 乌
夜 飞 延 秋 门 上 呼。
又 向 人 家 啄 大 屋
屋 底 达 官 走 避 胡。
金 鞭 折 断 九 马 死
骨 肉 不 得 同 驰 驱。
腰 下 宝 玦 青 珊 瑚
可 怜 王 孙 泣 路 隅。
问 之 不 肯 道 姓 名
但 道 困 苦 乞 为 奴。
已 经 百 日 窜 荆 棘
身 上 无 有 完 肌 肤。
高 帝 子 孙 尽 龙 准
龙 种 自 与 常 人 殊。
豺 狠 在 邑 龙 在 野
王 孙 善 保 千 金 躯。
不 敢 长 语 临 交 衢
且 为 王 孙 立 斯 须。
昨 夜 东 风 吹 血 腥
东 来 橐 驼 满 旧 都。
朔 方 健 儿 好 身 手
昔 何 勇 锐 今 何 愚！
窃 闻 天 子 已 传 位
圣 德 北 服 南 单 于。
花 门 剺 面 请 雪 耻
慎 勿 出 口 他 人 狙。
哀 哉 王 孙 慎 勿 疏
五 陵 佳 气 无 时 无。
Ai Wang Sun
Chang an cheng tou tou bai wu
Ye fei yan qiu men shang hu.
You xiang ren jia zhuo da wu
Wu di da guan zo bi hu.
Jin bian she duan jiu ma si
Gu rou bu dei tong chi qu.
Yao xia bao jue qing shan hu
Ke lian wang sun qi lu yu.
Wen zhi bu ken dao xing ming
Dan dao kun ku qi wei nu.
Yi jing bai cuan jing ji
Shen shang wu you wan ji fu.
Gao di zi sun jin long zhun
Long zhong zi yi chang ren shu.
Chai hen zai yi long zai ye
Wang sun shan bao qian jin qu.
Bu gan chang yu lin jiao
Qie wei wang sun li si xu.
Zuo ye dong feng chui xie xing
Dong lai tuo tuo man jiu dou.
Shuo fang jian er haoshen shou
Xi he yong rui jin he yu!
Qie wen tian zi yi chuan wei
Sheng de bei fu nan chan you.
Hua men li mian qing xue chi
Shen wu chu kou at ren ju.
Ai zai wang sun shen wu shu
Wu ling jia qi wu shi wu.
Sorrows For the Emperor’s Grandchildren
Atop the Chang’an city walls are white-headed crows
Evening flights to above the Yanqin gate to cry out.
Also go close to and peck at the roofs of big houses
No one under the roofs, government officials have all run away.
Emperor’s golden whip broken, many horses died during their escape
Many of his kin unable to follow in his hasty flight.
In the their pockets, treasures of jade and coral rings
It is their safe passage along the highways, suspected of being the
imperial grandchildren.
When asked, they do not reveal their surnames
Yet from the hardships of travel, seek to work as someone’s servant.
Already they have spent one hundred days on the run under
thistles and bushes
Clothes and skin scratched and broken.
These children and grandchildren have imperial dragons and emperors
on their family tree
These cultivated dragons naturally different from ordinary people.
We now have jackals and wolves in the cities,
dragons in the open countryside
The precious and valuable imperial grandchildren have to protect themselves.
Along major highways they cannot talk too long to strangers
For now, I can divert potential dangers from them.
For many nights, the east wind blows in the stench of death
From the east camels arrive to cart away war booty.
A northern battalion has healthy and strong men,
with effective bodies and hands
In former days we were brave and vigorous, now we seem so foolish!
Secretly tell the youth that maybe the old emperor has been replaced
The new emperor has made a truce with the southern king of Xiongnu,
the north will follow.
Notes:
Chang’an: (Xi’an) The ancient capital city of the Tang Dynasty.
Yanqin gate: One of the city gates of Chang’an
Jackal and wolves: Ambitious palace insiders not related to the royal family.
Dragons: Members of the royal family
Xiongnu: A federation of northern nomadic tribes.
Commentary:
Du Fu was an observer and participant during the imperial palace retreat out of the capital city of Chang’an (Xi’an) in 756 AD. The rebellion of An Lushan had also taken over the eastern capital city Luoyang. The Tang Dynasty was crushed by this rebellion.