Chinese poem illustration: 赠别二首/ Two Farewell Poems by Du Mu
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Du Mu’s poems are always of abundant and subtle connotation with simple, crispy wording. His poems basically could be categorized into two flavors : bold and generous(豪迈) or erotic (香艳). The two conflicting types of poem, could be the reflection of Du Mu’s inner mind and real life, which two is totally in contradiction.
My personal interpretation: This poem is not only farewell to the girl in front of Du Mu, but more to the beloved girl Zhang Haohao(张好好) he met years ago. The correct time table of Zhang Haohao is as below, which was not precisely told in the video.
Just in several months after this poem, Du Mu happhenly encountered Zhang Haohao in Luoyang city with great surprise. Du Mu was inspired by this reunion and came up a masterpiece: Poem for Zhang Haohao (张好好诗).
~~Timeline of Du Mu and Zhang Haohao~~
Encounter with Zhang Haohao: 829, Hongzhou(洪州)
Separating from Zhang Haohao: 830-831
Writing this poem: spring, 835, Yangzhou(扬州)
Reunion with Zhang Haohao: autumn, 835, Luo Yang(洛阳)
赠别二首·其一
杜牧
娉娉袅袅十三余，
豆蔻梢头二月初。
春风十里扬州路，
卷上珠帘总不如。
赠别二首·其二
杜牧
多情却似总无情，
唯觉樽前笑不成。
蜡烛有心还惜别，
替人垂泪到天明。
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