旅夜书怀 Traveling Thoughts on a Night
细草微风岸，危樯独夜舟。
xì cǎo wēi fēng àn ， wēi qiáng dú yè zhōu 。
Whispering grass, caressed by gentle breeze on the shore, A lone boat sails, its mast precarious, through night's lore.
星垂平野阔，月涌大江流。
xīng chuí píng yě kuò ， yuè yǒng dà jiāng liú 。
Stars adorn the wide expanse of the open plain, Moon surges, mingling with the river's mighty strain.
名岂文章著，官应老病休。
míng qǐ wén zhāng zhù ， guān yīng lǎo bìng xiū 。
Does fame reside in my verses' graceful sway? As an official, retirement beckons, age and ailments weigh.
飘飘何所似，天地一沙鸥。
piāo piāo hé suǒ sì ， tiān dì yī shā ōu 。
What do I resemble, adrift in boundless sky? A solitary seagull, between heaven and earth, I fly.
Background
In the first month of Yongtai (765 AD) of Emperor Tang Daizong's reign, Du Fu resigned from his position as military adviser and returned to his home in Chengdu. In the fourth month, Yan Wu (严武) passed away, leaving Du Fu without support in Chengdu. Consequently, he departed with his family, traveling by boat downstream, passing through Jiazhou (嘉州) (present-day Leshan, Sichuan, 四川乐山), Yuzhou(榆州) (present-day Chongqing, 重庆市), and arrived at Zhongzou (忠州) (present-day Zhong County, Chongqing, 重庆忠县).
This poem is composed during this journey.
Overview
The entire poem integrates the scenery and emotions, where the scenery itself has deep sentimental value. The poetic imagery is majestic and diverse, portraying a floating figure that stands independent of heaven and earth, enveloped in a profound sense of solitude. It is a reflection of Du Fu's own personal experiences and circumstance.
During the twilight years of his life, the poet embarked on a poignant boat journey through the Three Gorges in the third year of Dali (768 AD). His arrival at Jingmen in Hubei province evoked a profound sense of loneliness.
The initial four lines of the poem beautifully depict the nocturnal voyage, with the tranquil shore adorned with fine grasses and caressed by a gentle breeze. Amidst the vast expanse of the river, only a solitary boat accompanies him. Seeking solace, the poet finds himself by the shore, gazing into the boundless wilderness. The distant horizon merges the celestial and earthly realms, with the stars seeming to descend towards the ground. In the midst of the mighty river's flow, the radiant moon graces the waters, its gentle sway mirroring the current. Illuminating the shoreline, the stars guide the poet's path, while the boat gracefully follows the moon's guidance.
The phrase "stars hang" “ (星垂) eloquently captures the immensity of the wilderness, evoking a sense of grandeur and expansiveness. This imagery highlights the profound vastness of the surroundings, with the stars seemingly suspended low in the sky, enhancing the majestic atmosphere.
Additionally, the depiction of the "moon surging" (月涌) in the river vividly portrays the dynamic and flowing nature of the water. It is through the rhythmic movement and gentle sway of the currents that the presence of the moon is brought to life. By skillfully employing the expressions "stars hang" and "moon surges," the poet masterfully conveys a serene and solitary nocturnal ambiance, imbued with a profound sense of awe and tranquility, thus captivating the reader's imagination.
The final four lines of the passage delve into the poet's introspective musings and contemplations. The phrase "Shall fame be achieved through writings?" (“名岂文章著”) conveys the poet's recognition that achieving renown and recognition does not lie in the realm of political pursuits, but rather through literary endeavors. The use of the word "shall" underscores the poet's sense of frustration, indicating his inability to fulfill his political aspirations and the resulting disillusionment.
Furthermore, the line "Officials should retire from old age and illness" (“官应老病休”) suggests that the poet's departure from his official position was not a consequence of advancing age or health issues, but rather due to undisclosed circumstances. The inclusion of the word "should" implies that this departure deviates from the expected norm, evoking a mournful and resentful sentiment within the poet.
Confronted with the vast and desolate wilderness, the poet reminisces about his own poignant experiences, acutely sensing his own wandering and detachment. Amidst the stillness of the night, symbolized by the solitary boat, the poet likens himself to a seagull, devoid of reliance or sanctuary in the world. Through this comparison, the poet bemoans his state of aimless drifting and lack of purpose, emphasizing his yearning for a sense of direction and stability.
Line Breakdown
细草微风岸，危樯独夜舟。
Whispering grass, caressed by gentle breeze on the shore, A lone boat sails, its mast precarious, through night's lore.
The first half of the poem describes the scene of the "night journey." The first two parts depict the close view: a gentle breeze caresses the delicate grass on the riverbank, while small boats with tall masts are moored in solitude under the moonlight. At that time, Du Fu's departure from Chengdu was out of necessity. In the first month of that year, he resigned from his position as a military adviser, and in the fourth month, his dear friend Yan Wu, who had been his refuge in Chengdu, passed away. In this desolate and helpless situation, he made up his mind to leave Sichuan and head eastward. Therefore, the depiction of the scenery is not merely empty description but rather imbued with emotions, using the landscape to reveal his circumstances and feelings: as insignificant as the grass on the riverbank, as lonely as the solitary boat on the river.
星垂平野阔，月涌大江流。
Stars adorn the wide expanse of the open plain, Moon surges, mingling with the river's mighty strain.
The third and fourth parts depict the distant view: the bright stars hanging low and the vastness of the plains; the moon surging with the waves as the great river flows eastward. These two lines portray a grand and expansive scene that has been praised by many. What emotions does the poet convey in these lines? Some argue that it expresses a sense of "open-mindedness and vastness" (Pu Qilong, "Interpreting Du Fu's Poetry") “开襟旷远” - 浦起龙《读杜心解》, while others believe it conveys a feeling of "joy" ("Essays on Tang Poetry: Du Fu's Five-Line Poems") 《唐诗论文集·杜甫五律例解》.
However, it is evident that this poem is about the poet's melancholy and desolate situation in his later years, and the above interpretations only emphasize the literal meaning of the poem, which is difficult to be convincing. In reality, the poet describes the vast plains, mighty river, and radiant stars and moon precisely to contrast them with his own lonely and wretched image and his poignant and desolate emotions.
This technique of using joyful scenery to express sorrowful feelings is commonly employed in classical works. For instance, in the "Caowei" section of the Book of Songs, the lines "In the past, I went there, the willows were graceful and lush," 《诗经·小雅·采薇》“昔我往矣，杨柳依依” use the beautiful scenery of spring to contrast the bitter feelings of the soldiers departing for war, resulting in a deeply moving portrayal.
名岂文章著，官应老病休。
Does fame reside in my verses' graceful sway? As an official, retirement beckons, age and ailments weigh.
The latter half of the poem represents the poet's "introspection." The fifth and sixth parts express a sense of irony, questioning the reason for his reputation. Is it truly because of his excellent writing?
As an official, one would expect him to retire due to old age and illness. This is a form of sarcasm, carrying a subtle meaning. The poet had lofty political ambitions but was suppressed and unable to fulfill them. Therefore, his fame being attributed to his writings was not his intention.
It is true that Du Fu was both old and ill at this time, but his resignation was mainly due to being marginalized rather than solely because of his age and health. This reveals the poet's discontent and highlights that his political frustration is the fundamental reason for his wandering and loneliness.
As for the interpretation of this couplet, Huang Sheng described it as a "self-blaming statement without assigning blame to others" ("Interpretation of Du Fu's Poetry") “无所归咎，抚躬自怪之语”（《杜诗说》, while Qiu Zhao'ao stated it as "self-humility in five aspects and self-explanation in six aspects" ("Detailed Annotations on Du Shaoling's Collection"). “五属自谦，六乃自解”（《杜少陵集详注》）However, these interpretations may not be entirely appropriate.
飘飘何所似，天地一沙鸥。
What do I resemble, adrift in boundless sky? A solitary seagull, between heaven and earth, I fly.
The last two lines depict the poet as a lonely seagull drifting between the vast expanse of heaven and earth. The poet compares himself to a seagull in order to express his sorrowful feelings. With the wide expanse of water and sky, the seagull floats aimlessly, just like the poet, wandering through rivers and lakes. This couplet uses scenery to convey emotions and deeply portrays the poet's inner sense of wandering and lack of attachment. It is truly touching, with every word and tear evoking deep emotions.
Wang Fu's "Talks on Jiangzhai Poetry" states: "Although there is a distinction between emotions and scenery in terms of presence in the heart and in the external world, scenery gives rise to emotions, and emotions give rise to scenery, with each concealing the other's abode."
“情景虽有在心在物之分，而景生情，情生景，互藏其宅。” - 王夫《姜斋诗话》
The intertwining of emotions and scenery means that emotions are embedded in the scenery and vice versa. The former focuses on depicting scenery that aptly expresses the poet's intended emotions, while the latter does not abstractly describe emotions but embeds scenery within the emotional depiction. Du Fu's poem "Traveling Thoughts on a Night" is an example of the interplay between emotions and scenery, where they give rise to each other and conceal one another's abode, which is a common technique in classical poetry.
