[Poem] ON THE FOURTH DAY OF THE ELEVENTH MONTH, A GREAT STORM AROSE (NO. 1) - A Glimpse of Loyalty Amid Storm and Illness

In “十一月四日风雨大作(其一)” (On the Fourth Day of the Eleventh Month, a Great Storm Arose, No. 1), Lu You captures his unwavering patriotic spirit even while bedridden in an isolated village. Composed during the Southern Song period, when the court had retreated to the south following invasions by the Jurchen-led Jin dynasty, the poem underscores the poet’s lifelong desire to see China reunified and its borders defended.

**Line-by-Line Commentary**
1. **“僵卧孤村不自哀”**
- Although the poet is “lying ill in a lonely village,” he refuses self-pity. This simple opening line establishes a tone of stoic resolve.
2. **“尚思为国戍轮台”**
- “I still yearn to defend the frontier for my country at the Wheel Terrace.” Wheel Terrace (轮台) is a symbolic reference to distant border outposts; by expressing a wish to serve there, Lu You highlights his unquenched patriotic fervor despite age or illness.
3. **“夜阑卧听风吹雨”**
- As night deepens, the poet listens to the tempest outside. The wind and rain become metaphors for turbulence—both internal (his frustrations) and external (the state’s precarious fortunes).
4. **“铁马冰河入梦来”**
- “In my dreams, armored cavalry cross frozen rivers.” In his imagination, the storm transforms into visions of warhorses charging across icy rivers, reflecting heroic campaigns he longs to join or witness. This final line is one of the most famous in Chinese literature for capturing a scene of grandeur amid personal constraint.

**Historical Context**
- Lu You (1125–1210) lived during a time of partial occupation of China by northern powers. His poetry frequently laments the South’s inaction or repeated peace treaties that postponed unification.
- The mention of border defense resonates with a generation of literati who felt keenly the loss of their northern homeland.

**Emotional Resonance**
- Despite physical confinement, the poet’s mind roams the battlefields. Illness and isolation do not curb his sense of duty—if anything, they sharpen it.
- The contrast between the quiet reality (a lonely, stormy night) and the explosive dream (armored horses thundering on frozen rivers) shows how deeply rooted Lu You’s patriotism is. Even in the most humbling circumstances, his martial spirit surges.

**Literary Significance**
- Often cited as a pinnacle of Chinese patriotic verse, the poem demonstrates Lu You’s capacity to unify personal struggle with collective ambition.
- The poem’s brevity intensifies its emotional impact: each line pivots from physical condition (isolation, storm) to mental grandeur (frontier defense, cavalry).
- The final image—“铁马冰河入梦来”—remains iconic in Chinese literature, encapsulating a warrior-poet’s longing to redeem the nation’s lost land.

Hence, “On the Fourth Day of the Eleventh Month, a Great Storm Arose (No. 1)” stands as a testament to Lu You’s indomitable resolve. Neither age, nor sickness, nor the relentless weather can vanquish his dream of restoring his nation’s pride and borders—a dream that gallops ceaselessly through his nightly visions.