Poetry Friday - Poems of Du Fu

Since I will be leaving for China in just 4 short days, I have been reading Chinese poetry in my spare time. This week I am reading the poems of Du Fu, a man generally regarded as the finest of the classical Chinese poets. Here are three poems I particularly like.

Welcome Rain on a Spring Night
The good rain knows its season,
When spring arrives, then it comes.
It follows the wind secretly into the night,
And moistens all things softly, without sound.
On the country road, the clouds are all black,
On the river, the single fire on a boat is bright.
At dawn one sees this place now red and wet,
The flowers are heavy in the brocade city.

In Late Sun, the River and Hills are Beautiful
In late sun, the river and hills are beautiful,
The spring breeze bears the fragrance of flowers and grass.
The mud has thawed, and swallows fly around,
On the warm sand, mandarin ducks are sleeping.

Enjoying Flowers Walking Alone on a Riverbank (2)
At Huang Si's house, flowers fill the path,
Myriad blossoms press the branches low.
Constantly dancing butterflies stay to play,
Unrestrained, the lovely orioles cry.

To read more poems by Du Fu, visit the Chinese Poems web site. Happy poetry Friday, all!