Spring Scene - Chūn Wàng / Tu Fu

Spring Scene

In broken land, the hills remain
And grass and trees are lush again.
My teardrops fall upon new flowers — 
Birds flit — I pace and mourn the hours,
The flames of war now three months old,
A word from home more dear than gold.
I scratch my head; white hair too thin
To even hold a hairpin in.

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Tu Fu (712-770)
Englished by George J. Dance, 2011
from Doggerel, and other doggerel, 2015


[Spring Scene by George J. Dance (translation of  Chūn Wàng by Tu Fu)  is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.5 Canada License]

春望

国破山河在
城春草木深
感时花溅泪
恨别鸟惊心
烽火连三月
家书抵万金
白头搔更短
浑欲不胜簪

chūn wàng

Country damaged mountains rivers here
City spring grass trees deep
Feel moment flower splash tears
Regret parting bird startle heart
Beacon fires join three months
Family letters worth ten thousand metal
White head scratch become thin
Virtually about to not bear hairpin

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Tu Fu
757

[Poem is in the public domain worldwide]

Tu Fu biography