Du Fu: Prime Minister Zhuge Liang

 

[updated September 2022]

 

Prime Minister Zhuge Liang

 

蜀 相
丞 相 祠 堂 何 处 寻
锦 官 城 外 相 森 森。
映 阶 碧 草 自 春 色
隔 叶 黄 鹂 空 好 音。
三 顾 频 烦 天 下 计
两 朝 开 济 老 臣 心。
出 师 未 捷 身 先 死
长 使 英 雄 泪 满 襟。
Shu Xiang

Cheng xiang ci tang he chu xun
Jin guan cheng wai xiang sen sen.
Ying jie bi cao zi chun se
Ge ye huang li kong hal yin.

San gu pin fan tian xia ji
Liang chao kai ji lao chen xin.
Chu shi wei jie shen xian si
Chang shi ying xiong lei man jin.

 

Prime Minister Zhuge Liang

Looking for the main hall of prime minister Liang’s ancestral temple
Outside Chengdu city walls, a very dense and thick forest of paulownia trees.
Natural spring colors, bluish-green colors reflected upon the steps
Empty spaces between the leaves, yellow orioloes make their fine sounds.

Three times Liang was summoned by the king
He and his son served as officials in two succeeding dynasties.
A lifetime of struggle ended in Liang’s early death
For a long time heroes have had garments full of powerful tears.

 

Notes:

Zhuge Liang: (181-234 AD) High level imperial officer in military strategy as well as a Chancelor. He was known for his loyalty, wisdom, economic reforms, and anti-corruption efforts. Can be mentioned as a military mind along with Sunzi. Nickname was the “Crouching Dragon”.