9: Du Fu - For the Recluse Wei Ba

I can't get off that Du Fu. Here's another of his poems, with a somewhat different theme:

009杜甫:赠卫八处士

人生不相见,动如参与商。

今夕复何夕,共此灯烛光。

少壮能几时,鬓发各已苍。

访旧半为鬼,惊呼热中肠。

焉知二十载,重上君子堂。

昔别君未婚,儿女忽成行。

怡然敬父执,问我来何方。

问答乃未已,驱儿罗酒浆。

夜雨剪春韭,新炊间黄粱。

主称会面难,一举累十觞。

十觞亦不醉,感子故意长。

明日隔山岳,世事两茫茫。

rén shēng bù xiāng jiàn, dòng rú shēn yǔ shāng

jīn xī fù hé xī, gòng cǐ dēng zhú guāng

shào zhuàng néng jǐ shí, bìn fà gè yǐ cāng

fǎng jiù bàn wéi guǐ, jīng hū rè zhōng cháng

yān zhī èr'shí zǎi, chóng shàng jūnzǐ táng

xī bié jūn wèi hūn, ér nǚ hū chéng xíng

yí rán jìng fù zhí, wèn wǒ lái hé fāng

wèn dá nǎi wèi yǐ, qū ér luó jiǔ jiāng

yè yǔ jiǎn chūn jiǔ, xīn chuī jiān huáng liáng

zhǔ chēng huì miàn nán, yī jǔ lèi shí shāng

shí shāng yì bù zuì, gǎn zǐ gù yì cháng

míng rì gé shān yuè, shì shì liǎng máng máng

human life not to-see-each-other, moving like Shen(star) and Shang(star)

today night turns/duplicates what night, share this lantern candle light

young vigorous can what time, temple-hair hair each already pale-white

pay-visit old half become ghost, surprise cry-out hot middle intestine

how know twenty year, again go-up gentleman hall

past leave you not-yet married, son daughter suddenly become go

content in-the-manner-of- respect father friends, ask me come what place

question answer still not-yet stop, gallop-off son gather/plan wine wine

night rain cut spring chives, new cooking during yellow millet (a kind of millet)

host calls meeting face difficult, one stroke consecutively ten wine-cups

ten wine-cups also not drunk, feel you old intention good

tomorrow day separate mountain peak world affair two boundless-and-indistinct

________

For the Recluse Wei Ba

These human lives do not see each other, moving

like the stars Shen and Shang.

What night could be like tonight, when

they two share this lantern glow?

When was it they were young and strong, who's temples

have since both grayed?

Glimpsing old friends, faded half to death, their surprised

cries echo down to their bones.

How could I know it would be twenty years

before I climbed again into your family's halls?

Long ago I left you not yet engaged, suddenly

sons and daughters walk beside you.

Happily they bow to their father's friend, and ask

me from where I come.

Questions not yet finished, they race

off to prepare the wines for our feast.

Tonight as it rains the spring chives are

chopped, and the yellow millet cooked.

The host calls out that how difficult it is

that we should meet, and at a stroke we have taken ten cups.

Ten cups and not yet drunk, and for you

I feel my old gratitude deepen.

Tomorrow the mountain will be cut off from its peak,

we two, hazy amid the affairs of the world.