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? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 8 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 12 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Unauthenticated Download Date | 10/1/17 7:36 AM Yuhua Palace 327 Imperial expeditions went not so far as Alabaster Pool,1 20 his traces are here in the aftermath of carved walls. 2 My travels belong to perilous times, I look up and gaze at this, sighing long. Our divine king holds a winter hunt on Mount Taibai,3 24 I halt my horse and still scratch my head. 5. 23 Yuhua Palace4 The stream valley turns, the wind steady in the pines, a gray rat scuttles under ancient tiles. I know not what royal palace this was, 4 edifice abandoned beneath the sheer cliff. In shadowy chambers ghost-fires are green,5 mournful rivulets pour over broken roadways. The myriad vents are the true ocarinas,6 8 autumn colors are at their most brisk and aloof. Its fair women have become the brown earth, still more, their artifice of powder and mascara. Waiting on the golden carriage back then, 12 of the former things there are only the stone horses. Cares come, I smooth down the grass and sit, sing out loud, tears filling my open hands. 1 This refers to the expedition of Zhou King Mu to meet the Queen Mother of the West, who feasted him at Alabaster Pool in the Kunlun Mountains. 2 That is, the extravagance of Sui Yangdi can been seen in the ornament of the ruins, which serve as evidence of why the Sui fell. 3 The ? hunt? was a euphemism for an emperor in flight from his capital. Mount Taibai was close to Fengxiang, Suzong? s temporary capital. 4 Yuhua Palace had been constructed in 647 for Taizong as a summer palace to escape the heat of Chang? an. It was later made a temple, and was clearly abandoned by the time Du Fu saw it. 5 These are will-o-the-wisps. 6 The ? myriad vents,? wanlai ? ? , are those described in Zhuangzi, the holes on the earth whose sounds are the piping of Nature. These are opposed to the ? ocarinas,? the sheng and yu, reed organs of a Chinese orchestra. Unauthenticated Download Date | 10/1/17 7:36 AM 328 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 16 ? ? ? ? ? ? 5. 24? 26 ? ? ? ? I ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 4 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 8 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 12 ? ? ? ? ? ? II ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Unauthenticated Download Date | 10/1/17 7:36 AM Qiang Village 329 Going steadily on in my travels, 16 none there is who can live long years. 5. 24? 26 Qiang Village I West of red clouds looming sunbeams descend on level land. At the ramshackle gate sparrows raise a din? 4 the traveler has come back across a thousand leagues. My wife and children are amazed I survived, when surprise settles, they wipe away tears. I was tossed about in the world? s troubles, 8 now by luck I have managed to come back alive. Neighbors fill the tops of the walls, stirred to sighs, and even sobbing. At night? s end I again take candle 12 and face you as if in a dream.
II My late years press hard on a stolen life, coming home, the pleasures are few. Unauthenticated Download Date | 10/1/17 7:36 AM 330 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 4 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 8 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 12 ? ? ? ? ? ? III ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 4 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 8 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 12 ? ? ? ? ? ? Unauthenticated Download Date | 10/1/17 7:36 AM Qiang Village 331 My dear son will not let go of my knees, 4 dreading I? ll go away again. I recall how I used to love finding cool spots, on purpose I circle the trees by the pool. Whistling, the north wind blows strong, 8 considering matters, a hundred cares simmer. Fortunately I know that the grain has been harvested, and I already see pouring water into my mash-press. 1 If now there is enough to pour a drink, 12 for a while it will comfort my twilight years. III Now the flock of chickens squawks in confusion, when visitors come, the chickens raise a ruckus. I drive the chickens up into the trees, 4 and then hear a knock at my ramshackle gate. Four or five old men ask me about my long travels afar. Each has brought something in hand, 8 and we tip the jars, both the thick and the clear. ? Don? t refuse our ale for being too thin? there is no one to plow the millet lands. And since the warfare has not yet ceased, 12 all our lads are on campaign in the east. ? 1 To make ale. Unauthenticated Download Date | 10/1/17 7:36 AM 332 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 16 ? ? ? ? ? ? 5. 27 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?