Thank you for this one, Hyun Woo. Du Fu is such an incredible poet, and I always feel so sad for him when I read some of his work. So much left unsaid. His series of poems about being away during war and walking home in hope to see his sick son, only to arrive and his son had already died, bring tears to your eyes, even today. Du Fu was probably trying to give himself a little pep talk when he told the men of will to not resent nor despair.
It's when he says, "I am ashamed of being a father," that I really feel his loss. It's such a natural response to a tragedy like that. But how many poets would write something so raw and so true? His descriptions of the heart transcend culture and the centuries.
and yet, and yet, within his vast sorrow and shame, Du Fu spares a thought for the suffering of the people around him. The lines after expressing his shame at his son dying from hunger, Du Fu says, in Stephen Owen's translation
"Considering what bitter things still happened to me,
ordinary people must truly be desperate.
I brood silently on those who lost livelihoods,
then think of our troops in far garrisons.
Reasons for worry are as great as South Mountain,
a chaotic swirl that cannot be grasped."
Du Fu's ability to express extreme suffering in such poignant words, as you say, transcends time and culture. In another poem he expresses his profound grief at being so far from his sick mother and not being able to help her. His words are so deeply moving, you can feel his grief across centuries.
Thank you for this one, Hyun Woo. Du Fu is such an incredible poet, and I always feel so sad for him when I read some of his work. So much left unsaid. His series of poems about being away during war and walking home in hope to see his sick son, only to arrive and his son had already died, bring tears to your eyes, even today. Du Fu was probably trying to give himself a little pep talk when he told the men of will to not resent nor despair.
Du Fu doesn't really shy away from the harsh realities. I believe that's what makes him stand out.
It's when he says, "I am ashamed of being a father," that I really feel his loss. It's such a natural response to a tragedy like that. But how many poets would write something so raw and so true? His descriptions of the heart transcend culture and the centuries.
and yet, and yet, within his vast sorrow and shame, Du Fu spares a thought for the suffering of the people around him. The lines after expressing his shame at his son dying from hunger, Du Fu says, in Stephen Owen's translation
"Considering what bitter things still happened to me,
ordinary people must truly be desperate.
I brood silently on those who lost livelihoods,
then think of our troops in far garrisons.
Reasons for worry are as great as South Mountain,
a chaotic swirl that cannot be grasped."
Du Fu's ability to express extreme suffering in such poignant words, as you say, transcends time and culture. In another poem he expresses his profound grief at being so far from his sick mother and not being able to help her. His words are so deeply moving, you can feel his grief across centuries.
BS"D
This is excellent, Hyun Woo! I like your commentary.
Best wishes,
Peter
This is brilliant! Thanks, you made my day.
Happy to hear it!