书愤(早岁那知世事艰) - 陆游
Setting Down My Frustrations (Who Knew, in Early Youth, How Difficult the World Could Be?) - Lu You
When Patriotism Meets Age and Unfulfilled Aspirations
【Original Chinese】
书愤(早岁那知世事艰)
早岁那知世事艰，
中原北望气如山。
楼船夜雪瓜洲渡，
铁马秋风大散关。
塞上长城空自许，
镜中衰鬓已先斑。
出师一表真名世，
千载谁堪伯仲间？
【Literal English Translation (Line by Line)】
Setting Down My Frustrations (Who Knew, in Early Youth, How Difficult the World Could Be?)
Who knew, in my early years, how difficult the affairs of the world would become?
Gazing north toward the Central Plains, my spirit rose like a mountain.
I recall warships in the snowy night at the Guazhou crossing,
Armored cavalry at the Great San Pass amid the autumn winds.
Still I pledged myself to fortify the frontier above the clouds,
But now, gazing in the mirror, my graying temples speak of age.
Zhuge Liang’s letter to launch an army stands in true renown through the ages—
Yet who in a thousand years can measure up as a peer?
书愤(早岁那知世事艰)
早岁那知世事艰，
中原北望气如山。
楼船夜雪瓜洲渡，
铁马秋风大散关。
塞上长城空自许，
镜中衰鬓已先斑。
出师一表真名世，
千载谁堪伯仲间？
【Literal English Translation (Line by Line)】
Setting Down My Frustrations (Who Knew, in Early Youth, How Difficult the World Could Be?)
Who knew, in my early years, how difficult the affairs of the world would become?
Gazing north toward the Central Plains, my spirit rose like a mountain.
I recall warships in the snowy night at the Guazhou crossing,
Armored cavalry at the Great San Pass amid the autumn winds.
Still I pledged myself to fortify the frontier above the clouds,
But now, gazing in the mirror, my graying temples speak of age.
Zhuge Liang’s letter to launch an army stands in true renown through the ages—
Yet who in a thousand years can measure up as a peer?
“Setting Down My Frustrations (Who Knew, in Early Youth, How Difficult the World Could Be?)” is one of Lu You’s most celebrated poems capturing his lifelong patriotic zeal and deep-seated disappointment. Written during the Southern Song Dynasty (1127–1279), the poem expresses regret over the Song court’s limited success in reclaiming the northern regions occupied by the Jurchen-led Jin dynasty. Each couplet weaves together a personal recollection of youthful ambition with the stark reality of unaccomplished hopes.
**Key Themes and Analysis**
1. **Youthful Ambition vs. Harsh Reality**
- The opening line laments how the poet’s younger self did not fully grasp “how difficult the affairs of the world would become.” This directly contrasts with the ardent patriotism that drove him to dream of unifying the country and pushing back foreign invasions.
2. **Martial Imagery and Historical Allusions**
- Scenes like warships in a snowy night (“楼船夜雪瓜洲渡”) and cavalry in autumn winds (“铁马秋风大散关”) recall more active, heroic times in Lu You’s life or imagination. They evoke the battles or campaigns he aspired to undertake in defense of his homeland.
3. **Unrealized Ideals**
- “塞上长城空自许” (pledged to fortify the frontier but only in vain) hints at the poet’s lingering sense that despite his devotion, bureaucratic constraints and political complexities hindered him. This is a common thread in Lu You’s corpus: a fierce desire to serve, thwarted by court politics.
4. **Comparison to Zhuge Liang**
- “出师一表真名世” references Zhuge Liang’s famed memorial—his “Chu Shi Biao”—seeking to restore the Han. By invoking this pillar of Chinese lore, Lu You aligns his own hopes with one of the nation’s most revered strategist-statesmen. Yet he wonders: who else, across centuries, can truly match that caliber of patriotism and wisdom?
5. **Aging and Disillusion**
- “镜中衰鬓已先斑” vividly shows how time has passed: the poet sees gray hair in his reflection. This image underscores a bitter truth—his best years are behind him, while his dreams remain largely unrealized.
**Cultural and Emotional Resonance**
- Lu You’s frustration resonates with anyone who feels stymied by forces beyond personal control. His passionate calls to defend the northern homeland, coupled with the sorrow of watching the empire’s leadership acquiesce to disadvantageous treaties, embody the broader Southern Song loyalist sentiment.
- By pairing vast martial scenes (cavalry, warships) with introspective moments (graying hair, memories of youth), Lu You personalizes national struggles. Readers glimpse not just abstract warfare, but the emotional toll exacted on those determined to right perceived national wrongs.
Ultimately, “书愤(早岁那知世事艰)” endures as a quintessential Lu You poem: equally a confession of personal disappointment and a clarion call to never abandon the ideal of a unified, sovereign homeland. His final question—“谁堪伯仲间？”—suggests that the world rarely produces figures who can genuinely stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Zhuge Liang’s legacy of steadfast dedication. In so doing, Lu You positions himself—and his thwarted patriotism—within the larger tapestry of China’s heroic tradition.
Key points
• Contrasts youthful optimism with the poet’s later-life disenchantment.
• Uses rich martial images to recall the fervor of possible campaigns and heroic endeavors.
• Highlights the poet’s unwavering desire for national reunification despite political setbacks.
• Invokes Zhuge Liang as an emblem of unblemished loyalty and strategic brilliance, underscoring the scarcity of true patriots in any age.
Comments
Feral SableShort reflection: illusions soared in calmer youth, but ‘书愤(早岁那知世事艰)’ confronts a stark reality that merges heartbreak and patriotism. Compared to Lu You’s ‘示儿,’ which merges personal sorrow with a final testament of national longing, here the poet stands in a hush-laden recognition that illusions about life’s ease fade into a vow of steady resolve despite adversity.
Brave CrowShort commentary: illusions undone overshadow heartbreak, forging a vow that sorrow can coexist with determined resolve—no loud lament, only a hush-laden clarity that life, though harsh, might still yield a sense of unbreakable devotion.
Swift Black TigerA brief hush underscores each line, as though Lu You’s heartfelt determination calmly coexists with the heartbreak of unfulfilled ambition.
SolarKnighLong reflection: illusions parted overshadow heartbreak in a swirl of life’s harsh truths. The poet quietly vows not to yield to bitterness or despair, reminiscent of modern individuals who find renewed purpose after illusions crumble—like older professionals pivoting careers once early ambitions prove naive. That hush-laden heartbreak fosters a vow of growth: parted illusions can transform into a deeper zeal for a cause or mission beyond personal glory, echoing the poet’s hope for national revival. The poem’s subdued acceptance merges heartbreak with an unwavering sense of loyalty, forging a final resonance that parted illusions need not vanish in futility but can be harnessed for greater good, overshadowing sorrow with calm resolve in each measured line.
Prismatic Digital DawnMiddle reflection: illusions soared in youth, overshadowed now by heartbreak tempered with a vow that parted hopes become stepping stones to unwavering conviction—an echo of how real life often demands we shed naive illusions to discover our deeper calling.
Calm Red Bee DenA middle note: reading it, I recall how modern activists face repeated letdowns overshadowed by formidable obstacles, forging resilience. The poem’s hush-laden heartbreak parallels that intangible vow to never yield, even if illusions once held must be reshaped by grim truths.
Solar TigerUltimately, ‘书愤(早岁那知世事艰)’ emerges as a quiet testament to illusions overshadowed by heartbreak, forging a vow of unwavering spirit. Compared to Lu You’s other poems focusing on personal heartbreak, here the hush-laden sorrow merges with patriotic fervor, revealing illusions undone yet fueling new resolve. Modern readers can sense in each line the calm acceptance that parted hopes need not lead to despair, but can anchor a deeper vow to remain true to one’s mission, even when life’s naive illusions fade into the hush of recognized reality.
CobaltShieAnother nowaday link: certain public figures pour their hearts into social reform or environmental activism, illusions overshadowed by repeated setbacks. The hush-laden heartbreak in the poem parallels that stoic resolve, forging a vow to push forward despite personal cost or parted hopes.
EchoHarbinA middle reflection: compared again to Lu You’s ‘钗头凤(红酥手),’ which frames heartbreak primarily in personal romance undone, ‘书愤(早岁那知世事艰)’ elevates sorrow into a broader context of national longing and regret. Both revolve around parted hopes, but while one highlights private heartbreak, the other harnesses illusions undone as a vow for patriotic dedication, overshadowing sorrow with duty in a hush-laden acceptance.
Crystal EchoLong commentary: each verse captures illusions overshadowed by the poet’s deeper mission—like in ‘十一月四日风雨大作(其一),’ where storms intensify heartbreak but also galvanize a vow to persist. Here in ‘书愤(早岁那知世事艰),’ illusions about a straightforward life vanish, overshadowed by the poet’s unwavering sense of purpose that heartbreak won’t thwart his dedication to a larger cause. The hush-laden acceptance fosters empathy: parted hopes become impetus for moral conviction rather than fodder for despair. By merging heartbreak with patriotic zeal, Lu You channels illusions undone into impetus for forging on, quietly insisting that personal sorrow can yield a vow of enduring resolve—a deeply modern notion for anyone who’s had illusions shattered yet found new impetus in adversity.
Celestial Digital DriftShort impression: illusions soared in naive youth, overshadowed now by heartbreak that no lament can dispel, forging a vow that personal pain merges with steadfast commitment to an unfulfilled dream.
Epic Cyber VisionIn modern times, people often experience a similar tension when they invest years in a startup or career path, only to see illusions overshadowed by tough realities. The poem’s vow resonates with that persistent grit, forging a quiet acceptance that one’s true mission might outlast personal setback.
