Seeing Off Qin the Second, Judge

Du FuJinzhang Book Company (Jinzhang Shuju) · ChinaJun 2024

4.1

Word count: 4.1K words
Chapters: 48

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Summary

"Seeing Off Judge Qin the Second" is one of the five-character poems by the Tang dynasty poet Du Fu.

Editor's review

Du Fu's five-character poem "Seeing Off Judge Qin the Second" is not long, yet it typically displays his ability in farewell poetry to draw together narrative, scene description, and personal feeling. The poem unfolds around a farewell scene, showing concern for a friend's journey while also implying the poet's characteristic worries for family and country and his reflections on his own circumstances. This single-piece edition makes it easier for readers to focus on a close reading of one poem's text; it is suitable as an introductory slice for understanding the character of Du Fu's five-character poetry, and also for reading alongside Du Fu's other farewell poems to observe how he arranges layers of feeling in a short piece. When reading, first clarify the words and the relationships among the people involved, then pay attention to shifts of space and changes of tone in the poem. Because the material preserves only the title and genre information, readers should not expect detailed annotations or long appreciative essays; it is better suited to those who already have some foundation in reading classical poetry and are willing to immerse themselves in the text on their own.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Classical literature enthusiasts who wish to read a single five-character poem by Du Fu closely
Chinese majors who need excerpted material from Du Fu's farewell poems
Readers interested in Tang literati social circles and farewell themes
Teachers of classical poetry who want to supplement short textual examples

Not a good fit for

Beginners hoping for detailed annotations, vernacular translation, and long critical appreciation
Readers expecting a systematic understanding of Du Fu's life and the full range of his work
Readers who only want plot-driven works and are unfamiliar with the feel of classical poetry

Reading tips

First read the whole poem twice, mark unfamiliar words and place names, then consult reference works to clarify them.
Compare the farewell scene in the poem with Du Fu's other farewell poems and note similarities and differences in emotional expression.
Read the poem aloud, attend to the rhythm of the five-character lines and the turns of tone between lines, and appreciate the layers within a short piece.
After reading, retell the poem's meaning in your own words to test whether you truly understand the relationships among the people and the direction of feeling.

About the publisher

Jinzhang Book Company (Jinzhang Shuju) China · Founded in 1901

Jinzhang Book Company (Jinzhang Shuju) was a private publishing and distribution house in Shanghai during the late Qing and early Republican periods, issuing traditional works by lithographic printing. Judging from the 1,194 titles in the collection, its publishing focused on classical poetry, Eastern philosophy, historical reading, traditional Chinese medical texts, and canonical works, along with books on literary appreciation. Representative titles include the poetry and prose collections of Du Fu and Ouyang Xiu; historical works such as the Book of Han and Zizhi Tongjian; classical texts such as the Book of Documents and Mencius; and specialized and literary classics such as Treatise on Cold Damage and Li Sao. Its author resources cover major figures across the ages, including Du Fu, Ban Gu, Sima Guang, Zhang Zhongjing, Qu Yuan, Ouyang Xiu, and Tang Shenwei, reflecting the house's characteristic reliance on traditional scholarship and medical literature while serving general readers. Public information on its early history and operational details is limited, so no conjecture is offered here.

版权信息
【熟食日示宗文、宗武】杜甫
【又示两儿】杜甫
【社日两篇】杜甫
【九日五首】杜甫
【九日诸人集于林】杜甫
【大历二年九月三十日】杜甫
【十月一日】杜甫
【孟冬】杜甫
【冬至】杜甫
【小至】杜甫
【览物（一作峡中览物）】杜甫
【忆郑南玭】杜甫
【怀灞上游】杜甫
【愁（强戏为吴体）】杜甫
【昼梦】杜甫
【览镜呈柏中丞】杜甫
【即事】杜甫
【即事（一作天畔）】杜甫
【闷】杜甫
【戏作俳谐体遣闷二首】杜甫
【得舍弟观书自中都已达江陵，今兹暮春月末…情见乎词】杜甫
【喜观即到，复题短篇二首】杜甫
【舍弟观归蓝田迎新妇，送示两篇】杜甫
【第五弟丰独在江左，近三四载寂无消息，觅使寄此二首】杜甫
【舍弟观赴蓝田取妻子到江陵，喜寄三首】杜甫
【江雨有怀郑典设】杜甫
【王十五前阁会】杜甫
【寄韦有夏郎中】杜甫
【陪柏中丞观宴将士二首】杜甫
【七月一日题终明府水楼二首】杜甫
【季秋苏五弟缨江楼夜宴崔十三评事、韦少府侄三首】杜甫
【九月一日过孟十二仓曹、十四主簿兄弟】杜甫
【过客相寻】杜甫
【孟仓曹步趾领新酒酱二物满器见遗老夫】杜甫
【柳司马至】杜甫
【简吴郎司法】杜甫
【又呈吴郎】杜甫
【覃山人隐居】杜甫
【柏学士茅屋】杜甫
【题柏大兄弟山居屋壁二首】杜甫
【戏寄崔评事表侄、苏五表弟、韦大少府诸侄】杜甫
【秋日寄题郑监湖上亭三首】杜甫
【谒真谛寺禅师】杜甫
【别崔潩因寄薛据、孟云卿（内弟潩赴湖南幕职）】杜甫
【送李八秘书赴杜相公幕】杜甫
【巫峡敝庐奉赠侍御四舅别之澧朗】杜甫
【奉送十七舅下邵桂】杜甫

FAQ

Is this poem suitable for readers with no foundation in classical poetry at all?

Not very suitable. The material provides only the title and genre, with no annotations or translation, so beginners may easily be blocked by wording and background. If you already have basic experience reading classical Chinese, or are willing to use reference works and selected editions of Du Fu, you can try it.

Do I need to know about Judge Qin the Second as a person when reading?

The material does not provide specific biographical details about Judge Qin the Second, so readers need not insist on textual research. You can first grasp the textual information such as the friendship between the person being seen off and the poet and concern for the journey, then refer to reliable Du Fu studies to supplement the background.

Which of Du Fu's other works can this poem be read alongside?

It can be read alongside Du Fu's other five-character farewell poems to observe how he handles parting, travel, and personal emotion in short pieces. For specific works, you may refer to commonly available selected editions of Du Fu's poetry and choose farewell poems of similar length and theme for comparison.

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About the author

Du Fu Author · Chinese

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.