Listen to this articleIn Tianshui, the autumn clouds are thin,
The western wind having blown ten thousand li.
This morning’s view is clear and fine,
Long rains do not harm the land.
A row of willows trees begins to green,
The pear tree on the hill has little red buds.
Upstairs, a hujia pipe plays a tune ,
One goose flies high into the sky.
Du Fu, Clearing Rain
Cai Yan, daughter of Cai Yong
In 759, for the brief period of six weeks, Du Fu stayed in the city of Tianshui in Ganshu Province.
While he was there, it is likely that he heard the haunting hujia (literally, reeded pipe of Hu people) and the story of the beautiful Cai Yan (c. 178 – 249, daughter of Cai Yong). She was abducted by the western Xiongnu, married to a chieftain, and held captive for twelve years, bearing two children. Eventually ransomed, she returned to China, but was forced to leave her children behind.
In captivity, while riding on a cart, she heard the mournful reed of the nomads’ pipes, and was moved to compose this poem, which inspired Du Fu, who incorporates the similar sound “yi yan” (一雁, one goose) in the last line of his poem:
Nomad reed pipes softly blowing,
Horses whinnying on the frontier.
Above a solitary goose turns its head,
Its cry is heard, “Ying, ying.”
Chinese characters and pinyin
雨晴（一作秋霁）
天水秋云薄
从西万里风
今朝好晴景
久雨不妨农
塞柳行疏翠
山梨结小红
胡笳楼上发
一雁入高空
yǔ qíng（yī zuò qiū jì）
tiān shuǐ qiū yún báo
cóng xī wàn lǐ fēng
jīn zhāo hǎo qíng jǐng
jiǔ yǔ bù fáng nóng
sāi liǔ háng shū cuì
shān lí jiē xiǎo hóng
hú jiā lóu shàng fā
yī yàn rù gāo kōng
