Du Fu: Moonlit Evening, Recall Younger Brother

Moonlit Evening, Recall My Younger Brother

月 夜 忆 舍 弟
戌 鼓 断 人 行
边 秋 一 雁 声。
露 从 今 夜 白
月 是 故 乡 明。
有 弟 皆 分 散
无 家 问 死 生。
寄 书 长 不 达
况 乃 未 休 兵!
Yue Ye Yi She Di

Xu gu duan ren xing
Bian qiu yi yan sheng.
Lu cong jin ye bai
Yue shi gu xiang ming.

You di jie fen san
Wu jia wen si sheng.
Ji shu chang bu da
Kuang nai wei xiu bing!

 

Moonlit Evening, Recall My Younger Brother

Late evening drums signal the time for curfew
Autumn border region, one goose sound.
This evening begins the season of clear dew
Believe the hometown moon is even brighter.

Have brothers that are scattered hither and yon
Without contact with my family, do not know who is alive and who is dead.
Long time sent many letters with no response
Especially now as the fighting has yet to stop.

 

[Written in 759 while Du Fu was stuck in Qingzhou.]

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