[updated September 2022]
Solitary Geese
孤 雁
孤 雁 不 饮 啄
飞 鸣 声 念 群。
谁 怜 一 片 影
相 失 万 重 云？
望 尽 似 犹 见。
哀 多 如 更 闻。
野 鸦 无 意 绪
鸣 噪 自 纷 纷。
Gu Yan
Gu yan bu yin zhuo
Fei ming sheng nian qun.
Shei lian yi pian ying
Xiang shi wan chong yun?
Wang jin si you jian
Ai duo ru geng wen.
Ye ya wu yi xu
Ming zao zi fen fen.
Solitary Geese
Solitary geese do not eat or drink
Flying and honking sounds, thinking of family and flock.
Who can sympathize with my one slice of shadow
Again lost among thousands of clouds?
Gaze into the distance, seems like I can see them
Many sorrows heard from both me and them.
Open country crows without expressing anything positive
One-after-another they naturally sing, and then complain.
Commentary:
Du Fu used geese as a metaphor for himself, and the crows as the corrupt and criminal inside the palace.