Du Fu: Places to Think Of

 

Places to Think Of

 

所 译
苦 忆 荆 州 醉 司 马
谪 官 樽 酒 定 常 开。
九 江 日 落 醒 何 处?
一 柱 观 头 眼 几 回?
可 怜 怀 抱 向 人 尽
欲 问 平 安 无 使 来。
故 凭 锦 水 将 双 泪
好 过 瞿 塘 滟 滪 堆!
Suo Yi

Ku yi jing zhou zui si ma
Zhe guan zun jiu ding chang kai.
Jiu jiang ri luo xing he chu?
Yi zhu guan tou yan ji hui?

Ke lian huai bao xiang ren jin
Yu wen ping an wu shi lai.
Gu ping jin shui jiang shuang lei
Hao guo qu tang yan yu dui!

 

Places to Think Of

Recall the suffering of the drunk Jingzhou mayor
Banished from the imperial court, he often opens up the wine vessel.
At sunset you begin to sober up along the Jiujiang
How many times you returned from Yizhu Guan.

Can sympathize with you being unable to connect with your peers
I ask if you are safe and sound, ask if you have had visitors.
A pair of tears for you rely upon bright and gorgeous river water for delivery
Successfully pass by the overflowing rapids of the Qu levees.

 

Notes:

Jingzhou:  Ancient province from the Western Han Dynasty. During the Sui Dynasty to present day it is a city on Changjiang.

Jiujiang: A city on the southern banks of the Changjiang (River) in northwest Jiangxi Province.

Yizhu Guan: A famous natural form in a mountainside.

Qu levees: Could be referring to the levee failures of the Yellow River (14-17 AD) that led to the collapse of the Western Han Dynasty.