Du Fu

  • To the Swallows Coming to My Boat [Tang Poems]

    — Du Fu Another spring in boat I stay; Again swallows peck clods of clay. You know me in my native land; Now gazing from afar you stand. Ah, here and there you build your nest; Now and again I find no rest. You greet me and then leave the mast; My tears stream…

  • The Lonely Swan [Tang Poems]

    — 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…

  • A Quatrain [Tang Poems]

    — Du Fu Two golden orioles sing amid the emerald willows; A line of white egrets fly into the blue sky. My window frames the thousand-year snow atop western ranges; My door frames mooring ships ready for their thousand-mile voyage to Eastern Wu.

  • The Riverside Village [Tang Poems]

    — 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…

  • Joyful Rain on a Spring Night [Tang Poems]

    — Du Fu Good rain knows its season well, It comes with the spring to dwell. With wind it steals into the night, Moistening all things soft and slight. Wild paths and clouds are lost in deep black, Only the boat’s lamp glows at the riverbank. At dawn, see where petals, damp and red,…

  • After Sunset [Tang Poems]

    –Du Fu The sheep and cattle come to rest, All thatched gates closed east and west. The gentle breeze and the moon bright Remind me of homeland at night. Among rocks flow fountains unseen; Autumn drips dewdrops on grass green. The candle brightens white-haired head. Why should its flame blaze up so red?