Men on
missions
are as many as scattered stars, the royal net of rule is still like banner tassels attached.
Du Fu - 5
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Unauthenticated Download Date | 10/1/17 7:36 AM Seeing Off Attendant Censor Fan (23) on his Way to a Post 287 The delighted heart was utterly overturned, 8 and sobbing, tears soaked my kerchief.
III Had I died, who would have brought the news?
?
having made it, I pity myself for the first time.
I can still catch sight of Mount Taibai?
s snow 4 I joyously meet the heavens over Wugong.
1 My shadow is stilled among the thousand officials, the heart is healed before the Seven Guard units.
This morning the dynastic altars of Han 8 will begin a new count: the Restoration years.
In early summer of 757 Du Fu escaped from the rebel-held capital and made his way west to Fengxiang, where Suzong had set up court.
There he was appointed a Reminder, an official who stayed close to the ruler and ?
reminded?
him of important issues he had overlooked.
At the time Suzong was sending out his own officials to key positions in the region he controlled.
5.
6 Seeing Off Attendant Censor Fan (23) on his Way to a Post as Administrative Assistant in Hanzhong The Bow that overawes could not be strung,2 since then there have been no peaceful years.
In river valleys the blood floods wildly, 4 wolves and jackals bubble up and bite.
The Son of Heaven came from the north, galloping long, to rouse us from ruin.
1 Taibai Mountain and Wugong county were near Fengxiang.
2 This is a figure for imperial authority, which failed to prevent the rebellion of An Lushan.
The Bow is a constellation pointed at the Wolf, the constellation�governing insurrection.
If the Bow does not point at the Wolf, rebellion will follow.
Unauthenticated Download Date | 10/1/17 7:36 AM 288 ?
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Unauthenticated Download Date | 10/1/17 7:36 AM Seeing Off Attendant Censor Fan (23) on his Way to a Post 289 Troops massed beneath Mounts Qi and Liang, 8 having crossed over back from the desert?
s edge.
1 Though the two capitals, fallen, have not been retaken, we have control to the four ends of the realm.
The Han?
s bleak windswept waters are clear,2 12 a remote route for tax from the Huai and lakes.
Men on missions are as many as scattered stars, the royal net of rule is still like banner tassels attached. 3 The Earl of the South is worthy in handling matters,4 16 you will go to where he stands and chats. 5 You full well understand tracking the Seven Luminaries, your hand marks out the Grand Army? s dispositions. Your apprehension is as bright as ice and snow, 20 your military sharpness speeds like thunder. In headquarters you were allowed to be a remonstrating official; such is unprecedented in the court. His Majesty now takes his meals late,6 24 and depends on you to spread his fine grace. An omissioner, summoned into court in the evening, a censor, journeying and resting at dawn. Right now we are in times of difficulty, 28 and we truly depend on long-range plans. 1 This refers either to the recall of the northwestern armies or to Suzong? s Uighur allies. 2 Probably referring to the appointment of Du Fu? s friend Li Yu as Prince of Hanzhong. Since imperial tax revenues from the lower Yangzi could no longer be sent up the Grand Canal to the Yellow River, the route up the Han River through Hanzhong was essential. 3 ? Attached tassels,? zhuiliu ? ? , was an old figure for the way the feudal lords were attached to the ruler. The inverted form used here, liuzhui ? ? , was used in Liu Kun? s (271? 318) famous memorial during the breakup of the Western Jin: ? The peril of the ruling house is something like banner tassels attached? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? . This seems to be Du Fu? s sense here, particularly in the context of the more tightly woven ? net? of imperial rule. 4 This was Li Yu, raised from Duke of Longxi to Prince of Hanzhong. 5 Suggesting engagement in his duties. 6 Because he is so busy. Unauthenticated Download Date | 10/1/17 7:36 AM 290 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 32 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 36 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 40 ? ? ? ? ? ? Unauthenticated Download Date | 10/1/17 7:36 AM Seeing Off Attendant Censor Fan (23) on his Way to a Post 291 Whirling gusts blow on the solitary tree, the bright sun shines on the sleeve I grasp. 1 Moved to tears in the gray-green mist, 32 mountain gates, closed in ten thousand layers. The one who stays is gloomy in the vastness, and the traveler is now far in the distance. I pace about, sad at this parting of the living, 36 cramped up, old in my generation. They sang of people left over from the time of Tao and Tang,2 the Later Han continued a line of emperors. 3 Distressed that I don? t look like one to restore the dynasty, 40 I would just go off from this point on. Not a few of Du Fu? s poems from this period are seeing such men off as they went to take up their posts. In poetic terms Du Fu gives the background of the situation, explains why the post is a critical one in terms of the current military situation, and gives the recipient a sense that what he is doing is important. He often does this in his later poetry as well, but the clarity of the problems in the current political crisis gives these poems an edge. In peaceful times to be sent from the imperial presence to a post in the provinces would be a cause for resentment? even though in this case there was probably no diminishment in his grade in the civil service. Du Fu explains why this is a mark of imperial confidence in the recipient? s abilities and how crucial the post is? ensuring the transport of tax revenues to the throne. 1 The sleeve was grasped in parting. 2 This refers to the famous visit of the Prince of Wu to Lu, recounted in the Zuo Tradition (Xiang 29). The prince listened to the Classic of Poetry, commenting on each section. His response to the Airs of Tang was that ? their brooding was deep,? and that they must be ? people left over from Tao and Tang. ? Tao and Tang were the fiefs of Yao, hence referring to that sage-king. The allusion is based on ? longing for Tang,? as both Yao and the current dynasty. 3 That is, as the Eastern Han continued the dynasty after the usurpation of Wang Mang, so the Tang will continue after the An Lushan Rebellion. Unauthenticated Download Date | 10/1/17 7:36 AM 292 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 5. 7 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
Men on missions are as many as scattered stars, the royal net of rule is still like banner tassels attached. 3 The Earl of the South is worthy in handling matters,4 16 you will go to where he stands and chats. 5 You full well understand tracking the Seven Luminaries, your hand marks out the Grand Army? s dispositions. Your apprehension is as bright as ice and snow, 20 your military sharpness speeds like thunder. In headquarters you were allowed to be a remonstrating official; such is unprecedented in the court. His Majesty now takes his meals late,6 24 and depends on you to spread his fine grace. An omissioner, summoned into court in the evening, a censor, journeying and resting at dawn. Right now we are in times of difficulty, 28 and we truly depend on long-range plans. 1 This refers either to the recall of the northwestern armies or to Suzong? s Uighur allies. 2 Probably referring to the appointment of Du Fu? s friend Li Yu as Prince of Hanzhong. Since imperial tax revenues from the lower Yangzi could no longer be sent up the Grand Canal to the Yellow River, the route up the Han River through Hanzhong was essential. 3 ? Attached tassels,? zhuiliu ? ? , was an old figure for the way the feudal lords were attached to the ruler. The inverted form used here, liuzhui ? ? , was used in Liu Kun? s (271? 318) famous memorial during the breakup of the Western Jin: ? The peril of the ruling house is something like banner tassels attached? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? . This seems to be Du Fu? s sense here, particularly in the context of the more tightly woven ? net? of imperial rule. 4 This was Li Yu, raised from Duke of Longxi to Prince of Hanzhong. 5 Suggesting engagement in his duties. 6 Because he is so busy. Unauthenticated Download Date | 10/1/17 7:36 AM 290 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 32 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 36 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 40 ? ? ? ? ? ? Unauthenticated Download Date | 10/1/17 7:36 AM Seeing Off Attendant Censor Fan (23) on his Way to a Post 291 Whirling gusts blow on the solitary tree, the bright sun shines on the sleeve I grasp. 1 Moved to tears in the gray-green mist, 32 mountain gates, closed in ten thousand layers. The one who stays is gloomy in the vastness, and the traveler is now far in the distance. I pace about, sad at this parting of the living, 36 cramped up, old in my generation. They sang of people left over from the time of Tao and Tang,2 the Later Han continued a line of emperors. 3 Distressed that I don? t look like one to restore the dynasty, 40 I would just go off from this point on. Not a few of Du Fu? s poems from this period are seeing such men off as they went to take up their posts. In poetic terms Du Fu gives the background of the situation, explains why the post is a critical one in terms of the current military situation, and gives the recipient a sense that what he is doing is important. He often does this in his later poetry as well, but the clarity of the problems in the current political crisis gives these poems an edge. In peaceful times to be sent from the imperial presence to a post in the provinces would be a cause for resentment? even though in this case there was probably no diminishment in his grade in the civil service. Du Fu explains why this is a mark of imperial confidence in the recipient? s abilities and how crucial the post is? ensuring the transport of tax revenues to the throne. 1 The sleeve was grasped in parting. 2 This refers to the famous visit of the Prince of Wu to Lu, recounted in the Zuo Tradition (Xiang 29). The prince listened to the Classic of Poetry, commenting on each section. His response to the Airs of Tang was that ? their brooding was deep,? and that they must be ? people left over from Tao and Tang. ? Tao and Tang were the fiefs of Yao, hence referring to that sage-king. The allusion is based on ? longing for Tang,? as both Yao and the current dynasty. 3 That is, as the Eastern Han continued the dynasty after the usurpation of Wang Mang, so the Tang will continue after the An Lushan Rebellion. Unauthenticated Download Date | 10/1/17 7:36 AM 292 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 5. 7 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
