宿府 A Stay at the Prefectural Office
清秋幕府井梧寒，独宿江城蜡炬残。
qīng qiū mù fǔ jǐng wú hán ， dú sù jiāng chéng là jù cán 。
In the crisp autumn, 'neath palace eaves, a cold wind stirs the heart, Alone in this river city, I see the wax torch's part.
永夜角声悲自语，中天月色好谁看。
yǒng yè jiǎo shēng bēi zì yǔ ， zhōng tiān yuè sè hǎo shuí kàn 。
Through eternal night, the bugle cries, its mournful sound imparts, Beneath the midnight moon's soft light, whose gaze upon it starts.
风尘荏苒音书绝，关塞萧条行路难。
fēng chén rěn rǎn yīn shū jué ， guān sāi xiāo tiáo xíng lù nán 。
Time's relentless march, its dusty hand, secrets now depart, The desolate frontiers, barren lands, make travels hard to chart.
已忍伶俜十年事，强移栖息一枝安。
yǐ rěn líng pīng shí nián shì ， qiáng yí qī xī yī zhī ān 。
A decade's trials, I've borne their weight, like a persistent art, Seeking solace in this quiet state, a fragile, cherished heart
Background
The poem was composed in the second year of the Guangde reign during the Tang Dynasty (唐代宗广德, 764 AD) in the month of June. During this time, Yan Wu (严武), the newly appointed governor of Chengdu (成都) and the commander of the military forces in the Jianwei region, recommended Du Fu to serve as a staff member in his command post.
The poem, however, describes an autumn scene, which suggests it was written later in the year during the autumn season. The title "宿府" means "Staying at the Prefectural Office," which implies that Du Fu was lodging at the command post. The line "独宿" suggests that he often found himself alone, especially when others had returned home.
This background information helps provide context to the poem, highlighting the poet's personal circumstances during that period.
Overview
The poem primarily expresses the emotions of sorrow due to contemporary events and reflects the author's concern about the turbulent state of affairs. It also conveys the poet's melancholy about his own wandering and transient life.
It is the persistent burdens of sorrow and suffering that prevent the poet from appreciating the beauty of the moonlight in the night sky. The first six lines provide a detailed portrayal of the poet's grief over the turbulent times, marked by dust and desolation on the borders.
The last two lines, while mentioning "finding rest on a single branch" (栖息一枝安) still convey his sense of hardship and displacement. In summary, the poet's circumstances at the time were bleak, marked by a decade of wandering and displacement, resulting in a somber and melancholic poetic style.
Line Breakdown
清秋幕府井梧寒，独宿江城蜡炬残。
In the crisp autumn, 'neath palace eaves, a cold wind stirs the heart, Alone in this river city, I see the wax torch's part.
The poem uses an inverted structure in the first couplet. In a chronological sequence, the second line should come before the first. The phrase "独宿" (lodging alone) serves as the "eye" of this poem. By "独宿" at the official residence and watching the "蜡炬残" (flickering of the candle), the poet's anguish and sleeplessness throughout the night are implicit.
The first line, "清秋幕府井梧寒" emphasizes the desolation of the surroundings through words like "清" (clear) and "寒" (cold), which intensify the mood of melancholy. The poet first sets the atmosphere, feelings, and mood without directly mentioning "独宿," highlighting the powerful imagery.
永夜角声悲自语，中天月色好谁看。
Through eternal night, the bugle cries, its mournful sound imparts, Beneath the midnight moon's soft light, whose gaze upon it starts.
The first couplet describes what the poet heard and saw during his solitary night at the official residence. During the Qing Dynasty, Fang Dongshu pointed out: "Within this scenery, there is emotion, a rare and extraordinary sentiment throughout the ages."
“景中有情，万古奇警。” - 方东树
This couplet exhibits novelty in its sentence structure, deviating from the common pattern of four characters in the upper part and three in the lower part seen in most seven-character regulated verses. Instead, it employs a pattern of four, one, and two characters, creating three pauses in each line. With this technique, the poet skillfully molds a character who gazes at the moon, listens to the horns, and stays awake alone. This unique structure and rhythm effectively capture the complex emotions of solitude, silence, and melancholy, showcasing the poet's ability to convey profound feelings.
风尘荏苒音书绝，关塞萧条行路难。
Time's relentless march, its dusty hand, secrets now depart, The desolate frontiers, barren lands, make travels hard to chart.
The first two couplets describe the scene of the solitary night at the official residence while subtly conveying the emotions contained within it. The latter two couplets focus directly on the emotions associated with this solitary night.
"风尘" (wind and dust) directly follows the "永夜" (endless night), signifying the ongoing warfare. The melancholic and self-muttered "永夜角声" (sounds of the horn in the endless night) evoke many sentiments in the poet. "风尘荏苒音书绝" captures the essence of these myriad emotions.
"风尘" suggests that the state of turmoil has persisted for a long time. The poet often yearns to return to his hometown of Luoyang (洛阳) but, due to the prolonged chaos, he cannot even receive news from there.
In a previous poem, "Regretful Farewell," the poet wrote: "Parted from Luoyang, four thousand miles away; Barbarian cavalry advances, five or six years. Outside the border, the woods wither; on the river's edge, conflict blocks our path. Thinking of home, I stand beneath the moon on a clear night; Remembering my brother, I watch the clouds and rest beneath the bright sun."
洛城一别四千里，胡骑长驱五六年。草木变衰行剑外，兵戈阻绝老江边。思家步月清宵立，忆弟看云白日眠。”- 《恨别》
Several more years have passed, yet the poet remains exiled beyond the sword's edge. Alone in the forlorn official residence, he stays awake through the long night, gazing at the mid-heaven moon, weighed down by his heavy thoughts. "关塞萧条行路难" is one of these heavy thoughts.
His feelings of longing for home and reminiscence of his brother have only grown stronger, as he is still unable to return to Luoyang. These couplets directly convey the emotions of the "official residence." However, the emotions during this stay at the "official residence" are quite complex, and the poet summarizes them with the phrase "伶俜十年事" .(forlorn and aimless, a decade's worth of affairs)
已忍伶俜十年事，强移栖息一枝安。
A decade's trials, I've borne their weight, like a persistent art, Seeking solace in this quiet state, a fragile, cherished heart
The closing couplet echoes the opening one. The poet, acting as an advisor in the official residence, experiences the chilliness of the "official residence well" and is reminded of a bird, the "鹪鹩鸟" mentioned in Zhuangzi's "Xiao yao you" 《庄子·逍遥游》
In Zhuangzi's work, it's said that this bird nests deep within the forest, with only a single branch to perch on. Since the An Lushan Rebellion, the poet has been enduring the hardships of wandering and displacement, experiencing "支离东北风尘际，飘泊西南天地间" (the division of the northeastern winds and dust, drifting between the southwest and northwest regions)
He's endured these bitter decade and now he must endure the "井梧寒" (chilled well of the official residence) The phrase "强移" (reluctantly moved) emphasizes his unwillingness to occupy this solitary "一枝" (one branch) within the official residence; rather, he was brought here by Yan Wu. Using the single character "安," the poet engages in a form of self-mockery. Throughout the night, he paces and tosses restlessly, far from finding peace within.
