Spring View
Du Fu
Translated by Xuemei Li 2018.12.09 (V.1)
The nation’s broken while mountains and rivers remain.
The city’s overgrown with grass and trees in spring.
Bemoaning the time, I tear up seeing flowers bloom.
Resent to part, my heart tightens hearing birds sing.
The beacons have been lit for three months on end.
For a letter from home, a thousand in gold I’d spend.
My gray hair is falling out as I scratch so often.
It’s barely thick enough to hold a simple hairpin.
Translated by Xuemei 2018.12.11 (V.2)
The nation’s broken yet the land remains.
The city’s left with unruly growth of spring.
At times of sorrow, flowers make me cry.
Resent to part, birdsongs make me sigh.
The war was raged three full months ago.
A word from home is worth more than gold.
Out of worry, I scratch my hair so often.
It’s turned gray and too thin to hold a hairpin.
