Complete Collection of Tang Poems with Comprehensive Selection, New Annotations, and Critical Appraisals (Volumes 1-10)

Author: Chief Editor: Yu Chaogang
Publisher:
Publication Date: 1999-07-01
Features: Excerpt: Du Fu
Du Fu (712—770) was a native of Gongxian (now Gongxian County, Henan Province). His ancestral seat was Du Ling in Jingzhao, and his was Xiangyang. Du Fu was born into a family that "followed Confucian principles and held official positions." His life coincided with the transition period of the Tang Dynasty from prosperity to decline, and the An Lushan Rebellion was the key turning point. Du Fu's life experiences and literary creations were closely related to the rise and fall of his era. In his youth, he traveled extensively three times over a decade. In the 23rd year of the Kaiyuan era (735), he passed the imperial examination but failed. In the sixth year of the Tianbao era (747), he participated in the special imperial examination and failed again. From the fifth year of the Tianbao era, he went to the capital to seek official position but remained in Chang'an for ten years. In the tenth year of the Tianbao era, he submitted the "Three Great Rites" essays and was praised by Emperor Xuanzong, who appointed him as a scholar-in-waiting at the Jixian Academy. In October of the 14th year of the Tianbao era, he was appointed as the county magistrate of Hexi but declined, and was later appointed as a staff member of the Right Guard Bureau. In November of the same year, the An Lushan Rebellion broke out. In June of the following year, Emperor Xuanzong fled to Sichuan, and Chang'an fell. In April of the second year of the Ande era (757), Du Fu rushed to the court of Emperor Shaozong in Fengxiang and was appointed as the Left Supplementary Officer. Hence, he was known as Du Shiyi. In the first year of the Qianyuan era (758), in June, he was demoted to the position of Assistant Secretary of the Ministry of Revenue in Huazhou. The following July, he resigned from his post, took his family to Shu, and settled in Chengdu's thatched cottage. In the second year of the Guangde era (764), the governor of Jiannan, Yan Wu, invited Du Fu to serve as a counselor at the governor's office and recommended him as an acting assistant director of the Ministry of Works. Thus, he was also known as Du Gongbu. In the first year of the Yonghai era (765), in the spring and summer, he left Chengdu and stayed in Kuizhou (now Fengjie County, Sichuan) for nearly two years. In the first month of the third year of the Dali era (768), he left the gorges and arrived in Jiangling, Hubei, before moving to Gong'an and Yueyang, drifting between Jiangxi and Hunan. In the winter of the fifth year of the Dali era, he died on a boat traveling from Changsha to Yueyang. His life is detailed in Yuan Zhen's "Biography of Du Gongbu," as well as in the official biographies of the New and Old Tang Books. Du Fu left behind over 1,440 poems, most of which were created around the poet's era and personal experiences. His poetry, described as "vast and profound, encompassing myriad forms," comprehensively and deeply reflects the social reality of his time, earning him the title of "Poetic History." In terms of poetic art, Du Fu inherited the traditions of his predecessors, diligently explored, and meticulously crafted, mastering all poetic forms with precision, forming his distinctive style of "melancholy and dignified" and "precise regulated verse." Yuan Zhen praised Du Fu's poetry: "It rivals the Feng and Ya in antiquity and surpasses Shen and Song in the Tang, surpassing Su and Li in eloquence, and outdoing Cao and Liu in power, blending the solitude of Yan and Xie with the elegance of Xu and Yu, encompassing all ancient and modern styles and combining what no one else specializes in." He further stated, "Since the dawn of poetry, no one has matched Du Zimai." Thus, Du Fu played a pivotal role in synthesizing the achievements of previous generations and paving the way for future poetic development, exerting a profound influence. Scholars through the ages have devoted great effort to compiling, dating, categorizing, annotating, and studying Du Fu's poetry, resulting in a vast body of works. Wang Zhu of the Song Dynasty compiled the "Collected Works of Du Gongbu" in 20 volumes, which is the earliest extant version. The most widely circulated annotated editions include Qian Qianyi's "Annotations to Du Fu's Poetry," Qiu Zhaozheng's "Detailed Annotations to Du Fu's Poetry," and Yang Lun's "Mirror of Du Fu's Poetry." The "Complete Collection of Tang Poems" is organized into 19 volumes.
Mount Tai
How majestic is Mount Tai?
Its peaks stretch across Qi and Lu,
Nature's wonders gather here,
Day and night divided by its shadow.
Clouds rise in my chest,
Eyes strain to follow returning birds.
One day I shall climb its summit,
And see all the other mountains as small.