In the second year of Zhide (758CE), I returned to Fengxiang by a side way from the capital's Golden Light Gate. I was sent to Huazhou as a county official under the supervision of a left supervisor at the start of the Qianyuan dynasty (758-760CE). When I left my friends and relatives, I passed through this gate, and my heart was filled with recollections of past sorrows.
至德二载，甫自京金光门出间道归凤翔。
乾元初，从左拾遗移华州掾，与亲故别，因出此门，有悲往事
此道昔归顺，西郊胡正繁。
cǐ dào xī guī shùn ， xī jiāo hú zhèng fán 。
至今残破胆，应有未招魂。
zhì jīn cán pò dǎn ， yīng yǒu wèi zhāo hún 。
近得归京邑，移官岂至尊。
jìn dé guī jīng yì ， yí guān qǐ zhì zūn 。
无才日衰老，驻马望千门。
wú cái rì shuāi lǎo ， zhù mǎ wàng qiān mén 。
Background
Du Fu was once taken prisoner by the rebel army and transported to Chang'an during the An-Shi Rebellion. He was able to leave the city in the second year of the Zhongzhi era (757CE), using the Jinguang Gate in Chang'an's western wall. He then fled along a narrow way to Fengxiang, where he met Emperor Suzong and was given the position of Left Attendant Officer.
When Chang'an was regained the following October, he returned to the capital with the emperor. The following year (758CE), in the first year of the Qianyuan era, he enraged the court by petitioning for the release of his close friend Fang Guan, and was degraded to the rank of military officer at Huazhou. As he passed by the Jinguang Gate again, Du Fu was overcome with nostalgia and grief as he wrote this poem.
Overview
This poem recalls the author's difficult flight from Hu rebels to Fengxiang years ago, as well as his profound reflections and emotions. He had "worn out straw sandals to meet the emperor, with his sleeves exposing his elbows" (“麻鞋见天子，衣袖露两肘。朝廷悯生还，亲故伤老丑。涕泪授拾遗，流离主恩厚”). The court felt sorry for his survival, but his loved ones were distressed by his elderly and unsightly appearance. He was designated as the left censor with tears running down his cheeks."
He thought he could serve the royal family and help govern the country, but who could have predicted that his forthrightness and honesty would lead to false accusations and slanders, causing the emperor to distance himself and eventually being demoted after only a year in politics? The poet's deep dissatisfaction is portrayed through "uncomplaining grievances" “不怨之怨” in a soft and subtle manner.
At the end of the poem, he shows his strong love for the capital city, emphasizing the rulers' inability to distinguish between right and wrong and their cold and heartless nature.
Line Breakdown
此道昔归顺，西郊胡正繁。
This path, once pledged in loyalty, led me past the treacherous Hu Zhengfan at the western outskirts.
The beginning line of the poem describes the perilous circumstance of Du Fu's escape from Chang'An. "Hu Zhengfan" (胡正繁) has two meanings: first, it refers to the great danger during the Anshi Rebellion, during which the court was in great danger; second, it refers to the frequent coming and going of enemies outside the West Gate, making escape extremely difficult, demonstrating the poet's infinite loyalty to the court.
至今残破胆，应有未招魂。
Till this day, my spirit remains shattered, as if my soul is yet to be retrieved.
The second line uses the phrase "to this day" to shift the focus to the present. It expresses the perilous circumstances during the escape in the past further, and then shifts to the present time while still grieving the past. The poems' aesthetic arrangement creates a subtle impact, like a golden needle running through the poetry.
近得归京邑，移官岂至尊。
Though I have recently returned to the capital, my reassignment is far from regal.
Following which is his lament, whereby he approached his service with loyalty but is met with exile. This situation was created by the monarch's harshness, and it was the emperor who distanced himself from the poet. However, the poet's line "a transfer is not an insult to the highest" demonstrates that he has no intention of condemning the emperor, turning the story into one of Du Fu's dedication to the emperor. Nonetheless, if one carefully considers these two lines, Du Fu still harbors some bitterness, albeit in a subtle way.
无才日衰老，驻马望千门。
My lack of talent leads to days of aging, with my gaze fixed upon the countless gates.
The final line emphasizes the poet's strong devotion to the court and refusal to depart quickly. Although spoken restrainedly, the feeling is complicated and deeply nuanced, and it is an indirect complaint against the Emperor.
