by Tu Fu (712 - 770)
Translation © by Vikram Seth (b. 1952)

哀王孫
Language: Chinese (中文) 
長安城頭頭白烏，
夜飛延秋門上呼。
又向人家啄大屋，
屋底達官走避胡。
金鞭斷折九馬死，
骨肉不得同馳驅。
腰下寶玦青珊瑚，
可憐王孫泣路隅。
問之不肯道姓名，
但道困苦乞為奴。
已經百日竄荊棘，
身上無有完肌膚。
高帝子孫盡隆準，
龍種自與常人殊。
豺狼在邑龍在野，
王孫善保千金軀。
不敢長語臨交衢，
且為王孫立斯須。
昨夜東風吹血腥，
東來橐駝滿舊都。
朔方健兒好身手，
昔何勇銳今何愚。
竊聞天子已傳位，
聖德北服南單于。
花門剺面請雪恥，
慎勿出口他人狙。
哀哉王孫慎勿疏，
五陵佳氣無時無。

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  • Also set in English, a translation by Vikram Seth (b. 1952) , "Grieving for the Young Prince", copyright © ; composed by Alec Roth.

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2017-12-16
Line count: 28
Word count: 28

Grieving for the Young Prince
Language: English  after the Chinese (中文) 
From Changan walls white-headed crows took flight
 [ ... ]

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Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

This text was added to the website: 2017-12-05
Line count: 32
Word count: 263