— Du Fu
The lonely swan won’t drink nor eat,
But longs to join its flock to fleet.
Who will pity its shadow lonely,
Astray in the clouds, it wails only.
Out of sight, still it seems in view;
Lost in grief, its song’s heard anew.
What do insensible birds know?
You hear only caws of the crow.
Note
Du Fu (712–770 CE) is widely regarded as one of China’s greatest poets and a central figure of the Tang Dynasty literary canon. Known as the “Poet-Historian” and the “Poet-Sage,” he wrote with profound empathy, moral depth, and technical mastery, often reflecting on war, displacement, and human suffering during a time of national turmoil.
His poem “The Lone Wild Goose” (Gu Yan) is a poignant allegory of isolation and longing. The solitary goose refuses to eat or drink, flying and crying out as it searches desperately for its lost flock. Its shadow – “a single fragment” – is lost amid endless layers of clouds, evoking overwhelming loneliness. Even when the bird vanishes from sight, the speaker still seems to see it; its mournful cries linger in the mind long after they fade. In stark contrast, common crows squawk noisily below, indifferent and chaotic – highlighting the noble sorrow of the lone goose, which symbolizes the poet himself: principled, displaced, and yearning for connection in a fragmented world.
Through this vivid natural image, Du Fu transforms personal grief into universal emotion, capturing the ache of separation with unmatched lyrical intensity.
孤雁
— 杜甫
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。
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