Du Fu

杜甫 - Du Fu (712-770)

生平 - Life

I was born in 712 as the grandson of Du Shenyan (杜審言), a known prose writer and poet of his day. It is quite likely that his reputation motivated me to study literary works - his works included - in my early years (Davis 14-16). As stated in my poem "The Wanderings of My Prime," I was composing poetry at the age of seven, writing calligraphy at age nine, and had poems in the literary arena by fourteen/fifteen. Like most of the great poets of my time - Li Bai especially - I started drinking wine at a relatively young age, being rather mature and associating with elders who were far more wise then those of my own age (Du Fu, "Wanderings").

At nineteen, I began a series of travels, although the poems that I wrote during that period were not preserved. Rather, my experiences were known through my works of reminiscence done much later, possibly resulting in them being in a lighter mood than they really were, after the harsh life I had endured. I returned to take the Civil Services Examination and was unsuccessful, much to my surprise. In my disappointment, I set out to travel again, this time focusing more on riding and hunting than poetry (Davis 17-20).

I was raised with traditional Confucian beliefs, but when I was around thirty, I became somewhat curious about Buddhism and Taoism. My interest in Taoism, especially immortality, increased with the meeting with Li Bai (李白) in 744. I so very fond of him that I wrote to and about him after we parted, and continued to write even though my feelings nor my letters were returned, however my interest in Taoism soon faded (Davis 23-27).

I was no longer young and cannot afford to waste the rest of my life away, so at age thirty-three I returned to the capital. In 747, I had the opportunity to take the Civil Service Examination again. This time, Prime Minister Li Linfu failed everyone. Never again did I attempt the exam; instead, I petitioned to officials and the emperor himself. I was not able to gain office and thus lived poverty for the next ten or so years. The elements reflected in my poems written during this period were not only disappointment and frustration but also an awareness in the state of society and sympathy towards those who were suffering (Davis 27-36).

In 755, I was finally given a small post as "adjutant in the Office of the Right Commander of the Heir-Apparent's Palace Guard" (Davis 41). An Lushan Rebellion (安史之乱) in December, and soon after I took my family and fled. My family was safe, but I was captured and forced to stay in Chang'an for eight months, during which I wrote my best lyric poems. Then I proceeded to record the war in my poetry and continued after the rebellion ended, which earned the title of "Poet Historian" (Davis 49-52).

诗歌 - Poetry

More than 1400 of my poems survived; they were written during four periods:

My collection of poems are of a variety of topics - it was arranged into as many as seventy-two categories. I myself prefer to organize them into four subgroups: poems of travel, poems on paintings, allegorical poems, and poems of friendship (Davis ).

Poems on Paintings

画鹰 - The Painted Hawk

素练风霜起 苍鹰画作殊

竦身思狡兔 侧目似愁胡

绦镟光堪摘 轩楹势可呼

何当击凡鸟 毛血洒平芜

(Du Fu Poems 1)

Wind and frost swirl up from the white silk surface,

so superb, this painting of the gray hawk!

Shoulders hunched, he schemes to outwit the wily rabbit;

peers to one side like a vexed barbarian.

Foot cord and ring, a gleam bright enough to grasp;

by pillar and eaves, poised to come if you should call.

When will he swoop down on those lesser birds,

feathers and blood splattered over the barren plain?

(Du Fu and Burton Watson 3)

参考 - References

Davis, A.R. Tu Fu. New York: Twayne Publishers, 1971. Print.

"Du Fu Poems 1" (杜甫诗(一)). 佛山市图书馆. Web. 25 Feb 2012. <http://www.fslib.com.cn/oldfslib/Study/chinaculture/view.Asp?ID=53>

Du Fu. "Wanderings of My Prime" (状游). 教學資源,成語字典,花蓮吉安鄉合法民宿. Web. 03 Mar 2012. <http://www.gotop.idv.tw/content/dofu/travel1.htm>

Du Fu and Burton Watson. The Selected Poems of Du Fu. New York: Columbia University Press, 2002. Web. 25 Feb 2012. <http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=100345806>