Setting Down My Frustrations (Who Knew, in Early Youth, How Difficult the World Could Be?) - Lu You
/书愤(早岁那知世事艰) - 陆游/
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.