Ballad of This Evening
Tags
Summary
Editor's review
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Readers who want to know Du Fu's youthful poetic style and his many sides
- Readers interested in Tang dynasty song-form poetry and New Year's Eve themes
- Language teachers and students who need short classical poems for recitation
- General readers who enjoy reading a bit of classical poetry in a festive atmosphere
Not a good fit for
- Readers expecting a long narrative or a full biography
- Specialist researchers seeking detailed annotations and scholarly textual criticism
- Beginners with no familiarity with classical poetic language and meter
Reading tips
- Read it aloud twice first to feel the rhythm and momentum of the song-style verse, then examine the literal meaning line by line.
- Read it alongside Du Fu's later years sojourning in Chang'an to sense the shifts in style and mood.
- Note scene words such as "inn," "New Year's Eve," and "gambling" to reconstruct the poem's imagery.
- Copy the whole poem out once to feel, in the act of writing, the boldness of its diction and syntax.
About the publisher
Nanhai Publication Company is a comprehensive publisher known for its literature and arts titles, covering fields such as classical poetry, martial arts fiction, and folk literature. Judging from the more than 1,600 books in the database, the company has released classical poetic works including the Nineteen Old Poems and the Nine Songs, as well as multiple volumes of Huanzhulouzhu's series The Swordsmen of Mount Shu, along with related writings by authors such as Guan Hanqing, Qu Yuan, Zuo Si, and Wang Zhihuan. Its publishing character lies in balancing the organization of classic texts with the dissemination of popular literature, placing poetry anthologies alongside long martial arts novels and presenting a relatively diverse literary profile. Public information is limited, and further details about its editorial practices and series planning remain to be supplemented.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 【同熊少府题卢主簿茅斋(庐兼有人伦)】高適
- 【同朱五题卢使君义井】高適
- 【同郭十题杨主簿新厅】高適
- 【秋日作】高適
- 【辟阳城】高適
- 【赴彭州山行之作】高適
- 【咏史】高適
- 【送兵到蓟北】高適
- 【同群公题张处士菜园】高適
- 【逢谢偃】高適
- 【田家春望】高適
- 【闲居】高適
- 【封丘作】高適
- 【九曲词三首】高適
- 【营州歌】高適
- 【玉真公主歌】高適
- 【和王七玉门关听吹笛(一作塞上闻笛)】高適
- 【别董大二首】高適
- 【送桂阳孝廉】高適
- 【送李少府,时在客舍作】高適
- 【听张立本女吟】高適
- 【初至封丘作】高適
- 【除夜作】高適
- 卷二百一十五
- 【剑池】李岘
- 【张公洞】李栖筠
- 【投宋大夫】李栖筠
- 【宝林寺作】徐浩
- 【谒禹庙】徐浩
- 【自悼】薛令之
- 【灵岩寺】薛令之
- 【湘夫人】邹绍先
- 【寄妻父刘长卿(一作严维诗,题作发桐庐寄刘员外)】李穆
- 【短歌行】冯著
- 【洛阳道】冯著
- 【行路难】冯著
- 【燕衔泥】冯著
- 【同孟浩然宴赋(一作题壁歌)】王迥
- 【尚书都堂瓦松】李晔2
- 【省试七月流火】敬括
- 卷二百一十六
- 【奉赠韦左丞丈二十二韵】杜甫
- 【送高三十五书记】杜甫
- 【赠李白】杜甫
- 【游龙门奉先寺(龙门即伊阙一名阙口在河南府北四十里)】杜甫
- 【望岳】杜甫
- 【陪李北海宴历下亭】杜甫
- 【同李太守登历下古城员外新亭,亭对鹊湖】杜甫
- 【玄都坛歌,寄元逸人】杜甫
FAQ
How does this poem differ from Du Fu's familiar brooding style?
Can I read it without knowing about Tang dynasty gambling games?
What setting is this poem suited to?
Comments
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About the author
Du Fu was a realist poet of the Tang dynasty, styled Zimei and self-named Shaoling Yelao. His ancestral home was Xiangyang, and he was born in Gongxian, Henan. He served as Left Remonstrator and as an adjunct员外郎 of the Ministry of Works, and is known to later generations as Du Shiyi and Du Gongbu. During the An Lushan Rebellion he was displaced and wandered from place to place, later settling in the Thatched Cottage in Chengdu. About 1,500 of his poems survive, most collected in The Complete Works of Du Gongbu. He is revered as the "Sage of Poetry," his verse is called "poetry as history," and he is ranked alongside Li Bai as "Li and Du." His writing confronts social reality and personal hardship, covering war and displacement, the sufferings of the people, landscapes, and everyday reflections; his style is deep and forceful, his language precise and varied, and his influence on later poetry is profound. This site holds 31 of his works, including complete collections such as The Complete Works of Du Fu and The Collected Poems of Du Fu, as well as individual pieces such as "Again Showing Zongwu," "Visiting the Temple of the First Lord," "Song of the Year's End," and "The Ninth Day." His works are commonly classified under ancient poetry, Eastern philosophy, and culture.