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Du Fu: Climbing High on Yang Tower

Climbing High on Yang Tower

登 岳 阳 楼
昔 闻 洞 庭 水
今 上 岳 阳 楼。
吴 楚 东 南 坼
乾 坤 日 夜 浮 。
亲 朋 无 一 字
老 病 有 孤 舟
戎 马 关 山 北
凭 轩 涕 泗 流。
Deng Yue Yang Lou

Xi wen dong ting shui
Jin shang yue yang lou
Wu chu dong nan che
Qian kun ri ye fu.

Qin peng wu yi zi
Lao bing you gu zhou
Rong ma guan shan bei
Ping xuan ti si liu.

Climbing High on Yang Tower

A story in former times about Dongting Lake
Now nearby, high atop the Yang Tower.
To the east is Wu and Chu, the north has broken away
Day and night, heaven and earth transitory.

Not one word from relatives or friends
Old and sick, I have one solitary boat.
Warhorses came through our northern frontier mountain passes
Lean against the veranda post, tears and runny nose flows.

 

Notes:

Yang Tower: Located in YueyangHunan province, and near the famous Yellow Crane Tower

Dongting Lake: Located in northeast Hunan province and is a flood basin for the  Changjiang (Yangzi River)

Wu: Ancient kingdom and nation state during the Western Zhou Dynasty (11th century to 473 BC), comprising most of the present day provinces of Zhejiang and Jingsu.

Chu: Ancient kingdom and nation state of the Zhou Dynasty (1030-223BC), and comprising most of the present provinces of Hubei and Hunan.

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