The Fair Lady
English translation and interpretation are being reviewed.
幽居在空谷。
自云良家子，
零落依草木。
关中昔丧乱，
兄弟遭杀戮。
官高何足论，
不得收骨肉。
世情恶衰歇，
万事随转烛。
夫婿轻薄儿，
新人美如玉。
合昏尚知时，
鸳鸯不独宿。
但见新人笑，
那闻旧人哭。
在山泉水清，
出山泉水浊。
侍婢卖珠回，
牵萝补茅屋。
摘花不插发，
采柏动盈掬。
天寒翠袖薄，
日暮倚修竹。
English translation
There was once a woman without equal, dwelling hidden in an empty valley.
She says she was of a good family, now fallen, leaning on grass and trees.
Long ago Guanzhong was ravaged by war, her brothers were put to the sword.
High office is nothing to speak of, they could not gather up their own bones.
The world's ways hate the fallen, all things shift like a guttering candle.
Her husband was a fickle fellow, his new wife lovely as jade.
The mimosa still knows its hour, the mandarin duck does not sleep alone.
He sees only the new one's laughter, how should he hear the old one weeping?
The spring within the hills runs clear, leaving the hills its water turns muddy.
Her maid, returned from selling pearls, pulls vines to mend the thatched roof.
She picks blossoms but puts none in her hair, she gathers cypress, filling both her hands.
The weather is cold, her blue sleeves thin, at sunset she leans against the tall bamboos.
Meaning
There is a woman of peerless beauty, living hidden in a desolate valley.
She says she comes of a great and noble house, and has drifted down to dwell among the grass and trees.
In former days war swept the land within the passes, and all her brothers were slain by the rebel soldiery.
What use was their high office? Not even the bones of her brothers could be gathered and buried.
The ways of the world despise a fallen house; all things are like the candle flame that turns with every wind.
Her husband was a light and fickle fellow; he cast her off and took a new wife lovely as jade.
Even the mimosa knows to open at dawn and close at night; mandarin ducks go in pairs and never roost alone.
Her husband sees only the new wife's laughter; how should he hear the old wife's weeping?
The spring is clear within the hills, but once it leaves them it grows turbid.
She bids her maids sell her jewels to keep life going, and gathers green creepers to mend the thatched roof.
The blossoms she plucks she does not
Background
Read the background
This poem was written in the autumn of 759 (the second year of the Qianyuan era of Emperor Suzong of Tang), the fifth year after the outbreak of the An Lushan Rebellion. In the sixth month of 758 (the first year of Qianyuan), Du Fu was demoted from Left Reminder to assistant for military and civil affairs at Huazhou. In the seventh month of the following year he resolutely resigned his office and, taking his family with him, went to live at Qinzhou, where he gathered firewood and picked acorns to keep himself; "The Fair Lady" was written in the autumn of that year.