— Du Fu
A clear river wind by the village and flow!
Through long summer days, all in the village grows serene and slow.
Swallows on the beam come and go at will;
Gulls on the water snuggle each other and still.
The old wife draws a chessboard on paper plain;
The young son hammers a needle into fishing hook with main.
Fortunately, an old friend visits with the grain;
To this humble self, what more need then remain?
江村
–杜甫
清江一曲抱村流，
长夏江村事事幽。
自去自来梁上燕，
相亲相近水中鸥。
老妻画纸为棋局，
稚子敲针作钓钩。
但有故人供禄米，
微躯此外更何求？
This poem was written in 760 CE, when Du Fu was 48 years old. Previously, due to the outbreak of the An Lushan Rebellion, he had endured four years of displacement – fleeing from Chang’an, passing through Fengxiang, Qinzhou, Tonggu, and finally reaching Chengdu.
With the help of friends, he built a thatched cottage by the Huanhua Stream in the outskirts of Chengdu, thus ending his life of turmoil and attaining temporary peace.
A serene summer in small village
It was early summer, and the area around Huanhua Stream was characterized by winding clear waters, presenting a tranquil rural landscape. The clear river flowed quietly around the village, with fish swimming freely in its depths. In the long summer days, everything in the village appeared peaceful and serene.
Swallows flitted freely between the beams, while white gulls on the river huddled close together, floating lightly on the water. All living things here seemed imbued with leisure and harmony.
The comfort of home
What moved the poet even more were the tender scenes of daily life: his wife sat under the shade of a tree in front of the door, intently drawing a chessboard on paper; his young son, bowing his head, was earnestly hammering a needle, hoping to make a fishhook for fishing in the stream.
The image of his wife sketching a chessboard and his child fashioning a fishhook – such ordinary domestic moments were, in the eyes of Du Fu, who had experienced war, separation, and upheaval, as precious as a dream. The peace of family reunion and the innocent playfulness of his children offered him a long-lost solace.
Additionally, the poem mentions an old friend who gifted him food – such simple kindness was also a rare comfort for the poet who had endured much suffering.
From official aspirations to spiritual return
In his early years, Du Fu harbored lofty ambitions but was repeatedly marginalized due to his upright nature and the corruption of the officialdom, eventually forcing him to leave the capital Chang’an.
After years of wandering and hardship, now distanced from the court and surrounded by nature and family, he gradually realized that what he sought was not fame or glory but inner peace and spiritual belonging.
“Riverside Village” captures this transformation – in the simple, ordinary life of the riverside community, the poet found the most precious tranquility and contentment amidst the chaos of his times.
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