The Day After the Winter Solstice
至 后
冬 至 至 后 日 初 长
远 在 剑 南 思 洛 阳。
青 袍 白 马 有 何 意？
金 谷 铜 驼 非 故 乡。
梅 花 欲 开 不 自 觉
棣 萼 一 别 水 相 望。
愁 极 本 凭 诗 遣 兴
诗 成 吟 咏 转 凄 凉。
Zhi Hou
Dong zhi zhi hou ri chu chang
Yuan zai jian nan si luo yang.
Qing pao bai ma you he yi?
Jin gu tong tuo fei gu xiang.
Mei hua yu kai bu zi jue
Di e yi bie yong xiang wang.
Chou ji ben ping shi qian xing
Shi cheng yin yong zhuan qi liang.
The Day After the Winter Solstice
Days begin to get longer after the winter solstice
At the remote border gate of Sichuan, thinking of Luoyang.
How could one plan ahead to receive the blue clothes and a white horse?
Jin Gu and Tong Tuo are not my original and same hometown places.
Not naturally feel for the plum blossoms that want to open
Family departures long time ago, our future separate like kerria calyxes.
Extreme sorrow at first, tried to pour my feelings into poetry
Chanting the narrative poems I produced increases melancholy.
Notes:
Blues clothes and a white horse: These are the gifts Du Fu received from a local army general, Mr. Yan.
Jin Gu and Tong Tuo: Places in Du Fu’s hometown of Luoyang.
Kerria: Chinese plant of the rose family.