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Tou Shu-hsiang (fl. 780) was from Fenghsiang west of Ch’ang-an and was a close friend of Ch’ang Kun. When Ch’ang became prime minister, Tou was appointed censor. But when Ch’ang was ousted in 779, Tou was banished to Lishui, southeast of Nanching, where he wrote this poem. When officials were sent to such distant posts, family members usually remained behind. Despite his long absences, Tou’s five children all became known for their poetry. The flowers here are identified by some as Magnolia pumila and by others as Pergularis ordoratissia. The blue flags are those of wineshops on the Kan River, a tributary of the Chinhuai that flows northwest into the Yangtze at Nanching.

Spending a Summer Night with My Cousin Talking about the Past

TOU SHU-HSIANG

Magnolia perfume inundates the courtyard

the wine doesn’t last through a late night drizzle

how can I reply to the distant words of loved ones

or bear to hear about the dismal past

our children all are grown

our friends are mostly gone

another boat leaves tomorrow

I hate those blue flags by the bridge