On the Central Plain they are
fighting
now, 40 what means will we have to meet again?
Du Fu - 5
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Unauthenticated Download Date | 10/1/17 7:36 AM Seeing Off Case Reviewer Wei (16) 293 5.
7 Seeing Off Case Reviewer Wei (16) to Temporarily Fill the Post of�Defense Administrative Assistant in Tonggu In the past, when I had fallen among the rebels, I went roaming with you incognito.
Now we have come to the temporary capital, 4 in the king?
s service some stay and some go.
Hard-pressed among troops and horses, the ruler worries about the urgent need for good counsel.
Although your stature is small, 8 your mature energy stretches across the nine regions.
You roused yourself on occasion of the troubles, opened your eyes wide and took a look at the enemy.
The court thought your principles vigorous, 12 receiving a summons, you were ordered to take part in planning.
The phoenix-belled palanquin halts at Fengxiang,1 Tonggu serves as its throat.
It holds the road west to the Ruo River, 16 it guards the borders of Fuhan Commandery to the south.
In the age of peace, this land was the shame of its officers because of banditry.
Even more now, when the Hu are not yet destroyed,2 20 the scope of its reach goes far into the wilderness.
1 That is, the Emperor has set up his temporary capital there.
2 The rebels.
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Unauthenticated Download Date | 10/1/17 7:36 AM Seeing Off Case Reviewer Wei (16) 295 In the headquarters Defense Commissioner Wei1 has the way to demonstrate accommodating gentleness.
2 His excellent nephew is an extraordinary talent?
24 with two such fine men, what more do they need?
You received your orders at the foot of Taibai, you will gallop your horse to beside Chou Pool.
3 Of ancient aspect, where sand and earth split, 28 with massed shadow, the snow and clouds thick.
Old Qiang there wear boots of boar-hide,4 young Qiang wear capes of blue rhino skin.
Bugles are blown facing the Cave of the Moon,5 32 in the gray mountains the banners are mournful.
The birds are startled, coming out from dead trees, dragons rage and rise up in old tarns.
Since ancient days, an uninhabited realm, 36 in this present age, pikes and lances are brandished.
Painful, indeed, that a man of letters and learning, should gallop those wooded hills, stirred to rage.
On the Central Plain they are fighting now, 40 what means will we have to meet again? In life? s hundred years our fates are sealed, how can we tell whether we will sink or float? Yet for the moment I cherish my good friend, 44 clasping his hand as we walk by the roadside. 1 Case Reviewer Wei? s uncle. 2 ? Accommodating gentleness? was a principle of successful governance. 3 In Tonggu. 4 The Qiang were a Tibetan people who inhabited the region. 5 The Cave of the Moon was supposed to be in the far west. Chinese armies moved through Tonggu westward. Unauthenticated Download Date | 10/1/17 7:36 AM 296 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 48 ? ? ? ? ? ? 5. 8 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 4 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 8 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 12 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 16 ? ? ? ? ? ? Unauthenticated Download Date | 10/1/17 7:36 AM An Account of My Concerns 297 You will discuss military matters in the serenity of a distant ravine, you can also seek mysteries to your heart? s content If you get fine lines in writing poems, 48 send them to me sometime in a letter. 5. 8 An Account of My Concerns Last year Tong Pass was broken, I have long been cut off from wife and children. This summer, as plants and trees grew tall, 4 I escaped and got to flee west. In hemp sandals I met the Son of Heaven, both elbows showed through the sleeves of my clothes. The court had sympathy that I had made it alive, 8 old friends were pained at how old and ugly I had become. With tears I received the Reminder? s post, our lord? s grace was great for those who fled. Though I could have gone off to my ramshackle gate,1 12 I could not bring myself to mention it right then. I sent a letter asking of Three Rivers,2 not knowing whether my family survived. Since then I heard that all there had suffered calamity, 16 massacred down to the chickens and dogs. 1 That is, to go to see after his family. 2 A county next to Fuzhou, where Du Fu? s family was staying. Unauthenticated Download Date | 10/1/17 7:36 AM 298 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 20 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 24 ? ?
On the Central Plain they are fighting now, 40 what means will we have to meet again? In life? s hundred years our fates are sealed, how can we tell whether we will sink or float? Yet for the moment I cherish my good friend, 44 clasping his hand as we walk by the roadside. 1 Case Reviewer Wei? s uncle. 2 ? Accommodating gentleness? was a principle of successful governance. 3 In Tonggu. 4 The Qiang were a Tibetan people who inhabited the region. 5 The Cave of the Moon was supposed to be in the far west. Chinese armies moved through Tonggu westward. Unauthenticated Download Date | 10/1/17 7:36 AM 296 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 48 ? ? ? ? ? ? 5. 8 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 4 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 8 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 12 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 16 ? ? ? ? ? ? Unauthenticated Download Date | 10/1/17 7:36 AM An Account of My Concerns 297 You will discuss military matters in the serenity of a distant ravine, you can also seek mysteries to your heart? s content If you get fine lines in writing poems, 48 send them to me sometime in a letter. 5. 8 An Account of My Concerns Last year Tong Pass was broken, I have long been cut off from wife and children. This summer, as plants and trees grew tall, 4 I escaped and got to flee west. In hemp sandals I met the Son of Heaven, both elbows showed through the sleeves of my clothes. The court had sympathy that I had made it alive, 8 old friends were pained at how old and ugly I had become. With tears I received the Reminder? s post, our lord? s grace was great for those who fled. Though I could have gone off to my ramshackle gate,1 12 I could not bring myself to mention it right then. I sent a letter asking of Three Rivers,2 not knowing whether my family survived. Since then I heard that all there had suffered calamity, 16 massacred down to the chickens and dogs. 1 That is, to go to see after his family. 2 A county next to Fuzhou, where Du Fu? s family was staying. Unauthenticated Download Date | 10/1/17 7:36 AM 298 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 20 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 24 ? ?
