Wednesday, March 9, 2016

climbing Yueyang Tower


climbing Yueyang Tower


long ago I heard about Dongting Lake:
today I ascended Yueyang Tower—

Wu & Chu split apart to east & south
heaven & earth drift day & night on these waters

from family & friends: not a single word;
old & sick, with nothing but a boat—

war horses in the northern border pass—
I lean on the balcony, break down in tears & snivel

Jack Hayes
© 2016

based on Du Fu: 登岳陽樓
dēng Yuèyáng lóu


Notes:
Climbing towers & mountains—anywhere high with an unimpeded view—was a longstanding tradition among the poets & literati of Medieval China. Yueyang Tower overlooking Dongting Lake was a renowned spot for such excursions.

Wu & Chu were both states during the Spring & Autumn & Warring States periods. The current provinces of Hunan & Hubei were included in Chu (as well as portions of several others), while Wu included the area around modern Nanjing & east to the coast, including the region around modern Shanghai. See the map at this link for more detail.


Image links to its source on Wiki Commons:
Yueyang Tower: Xia Yong – Yuan Dynasty

No comments:

Post a Comment

Thanks for stopping by & sharing your thoughts. Please do note, however, that this blog no longer accepts anonymous comments. All comments are moderated. Thanks for your patience.