SPRING VIEW

Du Fu 

(Tang Dynasty)

On war-torn land streams flow and mountains stand;

In vernal town grass and weeds are o'ergrown.

Grieved o'er the years, flowers make us shed tears;

Hating to part, hearing birds breaks our heart.

The beacon fire has gone higher and higher;

Words from household are worth their weight in gold.

I cannot bear to scratch my grizzling hair;

It grows too thin to hold a light hairpin.

春望

[唐]杜甫

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。

About the poet 

Du Fu was one of China's most acclaimed poets of the Tang Dynasty (618-907). He was also a keen politician who had a close friendship to another great Chinese literati Li Bai.

About the translator 

Xu Yuanchong (1921-2021) was born in Nanchang in East China's Jiangxi Province. He was a professor of literary translation at Peking University.

About the book 

300 Tang Poems Translated by Xu Yuanchong Published by China Intercontinental Press