During the An Lushan rebellion, the Emperor had fled the capital of Chang'an which had fallen to the rebels. Du Fu was away at the time and took his wife and children (the oldest of them maybe 5 years old) to safety at Fūzhōu, in present day Fùxiàn, about 140 miles north of Chang'an on the river Luo. Du Fu then headed for the frontier town of Lingwu to join the new court. But he was intercepted by the rebels and taken to Chang'an, and imprisoned. There, he wrote this poem.
On a Moonlit Night while Imprisoned in Chang'an
By Du Fu
Translated by A.Z. Foreman
Click here to hear me recite the original in Modern Chinese pronunciation
Click here to hear me recite it in a reconstructed Medieval Pronunciation
Tonight the moon shines also on Fuzhou
There she alone watches it with me gone
I am moved here to think of our children there
they do not know yet what she knows of Chang'an1
Her cloud-like hair in fragrant mist is damp
Her jade-white arms in the chill glow — alone
When shall we lean together at the one window
to dry our cheeks' tear-trails by one bright moon?
1: i.e. that Du Fu is being held there.
The Original:
(Medieval Chinese transcribed using a slight modification of David Branner's system)
On a Moonlit Night while Imprisoned in Chang'an
By Du Fu
Translated by A.Z. Foreman
Click here to hear me recite the original in Modern Chinese pronunciation
Click here to hear me recite it in a reconstructed Medieval Pronunciation
Tonight the moon shines also on Fuzhou
There she alone watches it with me gone
I am moved here to think of our children there
they do not know yet what she knows of Chang'an1
Her cloud-like hair in fragrant mist is damp
Her jade-white arms in the chill glow — alone
When shall we lean together at the one window
to dry our cheeks' tear-trails by one bright moon?
1: i.e. that Du Fu is being held there.
The Original:
(Medieval Chinese transcribed using a slight modification of David Branner's system)
Han Characters 月夜 杜甫 今夜鄜州月, 閨中只獨看。 遙憐小兒女, 未解憶長安。 香霧雲鬟濕, 清輝玉臂寒。 何時倚虛幌, 雙照淚痕乾。 | Medieval Chinese ngwat3a yà3 dúo1 púo3c kem3x yà3 phuo3c tsyou3b ngwat3a kwei4 trung3b tsyí3b duk1b khan1 yau3 lan4 sáu3 nyi3b núo3b mì3a ghèi2a ek3 drang3 an1 hang3 mùo 3c wen3a ghwan2a syep3 tsheing3b hwi3a nguk3c pì3by ghan1 ghe1 dzyi3d í3bx huo3b ghwáng1 srong2 tsyàu3 lwì3c ghen1 kan1 | Modern Chinese Yuè yè Dù Fǔ Jīnyè fūzhōu yuè Guī zhōng zhǐ dú kān Yáo lián xiǎo ér nǚ Wèi xiè yì cháng'ān Xiāng wù yún huán shī Qīng huī yù bì hán hé shí yǐ xū huǎng shuāng zhào lèi hén gān |
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