Book of Songs
唐风·杕杜
佚名
有杕之杜，其叶湑湑。独行踽踽，岂无他人？不如我同父。嗟行之人，胡不比焉？人无兄弟，胡不佽焉？
有杕之杜，其叶菁菁。独行睘睘，岂无他人？不如我同姓。嗟行之人，胡不比焉？人无兄弟，胡不佽焉？
Translation
There stands a solitary pear tree, its leaves lush and spreading. A man walks alone, lonely and slow. Are there no others in the world? Yet none are like brothers born of the same father. Alas, you travelers on the road, why do you not draw near to him? When a man has no brothers, why do you not help him? There stands a solitary pear tree, its leaves green and full. A man walks alone, desolate and unsupported. Are there no others in the world? Yet none are like those of the same clan. Alas, you travelers on the road, why do you not join with him? When a man has no brothers, why do you not support him?
Analysis
“Di Du” begins with a solitary pear tree. The tree is not withered; its leaves are lush and green. The emotional force lies in the contrast: the tree is full of life, yet it stands alone, just as the person in the poem walks alone. The repeated phrases “walking alone” and “desolate” create a quiet but heavy loneliness. The poem does not say that there are no people around; instead it asks, “Are there no others?” The answer is that others cannot replace brothers of the same father or kin of the same clan. In the social world reflected by the Book of Songs, kinship is not only affection but also protection. The final questions—why do people not draw near, why do they not help—turn private loneliness into an ethical complaint. The poem is therefore not merely about solitude; it is about the failure of human support when family bonds are broken or neglected.
About the Author
The poems of “Tang Feng” are anonymous songs associated with the ancient Tang region. “Di Du” has traditionally been read as a poem about broken kinship and the loneliness that follows when family support fails. Unlike the brighter love songs of the Book of Songs, it turns on a restrained ethical lament: a person may be surrounded by strangers, yet still lack true support. Its repeated questions make it a useful example of how early Chinese poetry joins image, emotion, and social concern.