[updated September 2022]
Over Water Balcony Sentiments: Two Poems
水 槛 遣 心： 二 首
(1)
去 郭 轩 楹 敞
无 村 眺 望 赊。
澄 江 平 少 岸
幽 树 晚 多 花。
细 雨 鱼 儿 出
微 风 燕 子 斜。
城 中 十 万 户
此 城 两 三 家。
Shui Jian Qian Xin: Er Shou
(1)
Qu guo xuan ying chang
Wu cun tiao wang she.
Cheng jiang ping shao an
You shu wan duo hua.
Xi yu yu er chu
Wei feng yan zi xie.
Cheng zhong shi wan hu
Ci di liang san jia.
(2)
江 涨 柴 门 外
儿 童 报 急 流。
下 床 高 数 尺
倚 杖 没 中 洲。
细 动 迎 风 燕
轻 摇 逐 浪 欧。
愚 人 萦 小 楫
客 易 拔 船 头。
(2)
Jiang zhang chai men wai
Er tong bao ji liu.
Xia chuang gao shu chi
Yi zhang mei zhong zhou.
Xi dong ying feng yan
Qing yao zhu lang ou.
Yu ren ying xiao ji
Ke yi ba chuan tou.
Over-Water Balcony Sentiments: Two Poems
(1)
Far removed from the city walls, tall pillars create open and roomy spaces
Looking into the distance from an elevated place, no villages in sight.
Level and transparent river with few riverbank marks.
Deep forest trees, many late-blooming flowers.
Misty rainfall, bait fish surface and return
At dusk, sparrow chicks on the light breezes.
Middle of the city has one hundred thousand households
This region holds only two or three.
(2)
River rising outside my door of firewood
Children report their seeing violent rapids.
Out of my bed to count how many feet it has risen
Lean on my cane, mid-river islet is covered.
Swallows carefully ride the winds towards their home
Seagulls one by one softly ride the waves.
Foolish people entangle their small boats
Easily pulled around from the bow.
Commentary:
Du Fu’s description of his simple house located in the outskirts of Chengdu city, Sichuan’s provincial capital. He and his family have fled to this far away region to avoid the fighting and battles going on throughout much of China.