Cen vi badˋ cuˋsii/For Wei the Eighth

For Wei the Eighth
Du Fu

How rarely together friends are!

As Morning Star with Evening Star.

O what a rare night is tonight?

Together we share candlelight.

How long can last our youthful years?

Grey hair on our temples appears.

We find half of our friends departed.

How can we not cry broken-hearted!

After twenty years, who knows then,

I come into your hall again.

Unmarried twenty years ago,

Now you have children in a row.

Seeing their father’s friend at home,

They’re glad to ask where I come from.

Our talk has not come to an end,

When wine is offered to the friend.

They bring leeks cut after night rain

And millet cooked with new grain.

The host says, “It is hard to meet.

Let us drink ten cups of wine sweet!”

Ten cupfuls cannot make me drunk,

For deep in your lover I am sunk.

Mountains will divide us tomorrow.

O What can we foresee but sorrow!


Cen vi badˋ cuˋsii
Du puˋ

Nginˇsenˊ budˋ xiongˊgien;

Tung iˇ simˊ iˋ songˊ.

Gimˊxid fug hoˇ xid;

Kiung ciiˋ denˊ zugˋ gongˊ.

Seuˋzong nenˇ giˋsiiˇ;

Binfad gogˋ iˋ congˊ.

Fongˋ kiu ban viˇ guiˋ;

Giangˊ fuˊ ngied zungˊ congˇ.

Ienˊdiˊ ngisiib zaiˋ;

Ciungˇ song giunˊziiˋ tongˇ.

Xidˋ pied giunˊ vi funˊ;

Iˇngˋ fudˋ siinˇhangˇ.

Iˇienˇ gin fuziibˋ;

Mun ngaiˇ loiˇ hoˇfongˊ?

Mundabˋ noiˋ vi iˋ;

kiˊ iˇ loˇ jiuˋjiongˊ.

Ia iˋ jienˋ cunˊgiuˋ;

Xinˊ coiˊ gienˊ vongˇliongˇ.

Zuˋ ciinˊ fimien nanˇ;

Idˋ giˋ lui siib songˊ.

Siib songˊ id budˋ zui;

Gamˋ ziiˋ gui congˇ.

Minˇngidˋ gagˋ sanˊngog;

Siisii liongˋ mongˇmongˇ.