Adriana Roteanu – Qiang Village
As I was reading Qiang Village by Du Fu, the first song that came in my mind it was “Let me go home” by Michael Bubble, and I’m coming home from Diddy. As I went deeper the context of the poem didn’t seem to completely sync with this two choices. As the few feelings that I got from this poem was the pain he been through while he was in the war and held hostage” Red clouds tower in the west,/The sun is sinking on the plain” but yet an unbelievable happiness that he is back home. “Laugh, I nearly Died” by Rolling Stones lyrics says
“I’ve been traveling but I don’t know where
I’ve been missing you but you just don’t care
And I’ve been wandering, I’ve seen Greece and Rome
Lost in the wilderness, so far from home
Yeah, yeah”
Lines that relates with the poem how far the poet traveled to finally get home. And then the lyrics say
“I’m so sick and tired
Trying to turn the tide, yeah
So I’ll say my goodbye
Laugh, laugh
I nearly died”
This line shows how the singer was ready to die, but yet he can laugh now because he missed death.
Probably “I’m coming home” by P. Diddy has stanza that says:
” Ain’t No Stopping Us Now”, I love that song
Whenever it comes on it makes me feel strong
I thought I told y’all that we won’t stop
We back cruising through Harlem, these ol’ blocks
It’s what made me, saved me, drove me crazy
Drove me away then embraced me
Forgave me for all of my shortcomings
Welcome to my homecoming
Yeah, it’s been a long time coming
Lot of fights, lot of scars, lot of bottles
Lot of cars, lot of ups, lot of downs
Made it back, lost my dog (I miss you BIG)
But here I stand (here I stand), a better man! (a better man)
Thank you Lord (Thank you Lord)
Thank you all!”
This stanza makes me feel like is a more modern situation as the one Du Fu describes. “Lot of fights, lot of scars, lot of bottles/Lot of cars, lot of ups, lot of downs/Made it back, lost my dog (I miss you BIG)” can be compared with the war and the hard situation that Du Fu experienced at the time and P. Diddy says that he been through fights, he got scars (probably he has been disappointed by people, but also physical scars), then he says how he lost his “dog” as he is referring to Notorious BIG, his close murdered friend and also a legend for Hip Hop.
At the end of this stanza, Diddy says:
“But here I stand (here I stand), a better man! (a better man)
Thank you Lord (Thank you Lord)
Thank you all!”
These final verses state the same thing Du Fu stated, that he made it home, thanking God for it as Du Fu lighted also his candles at night. And yet all that seemed a dream.
2 responses so far
This is a great post. I can see the connections between the sadness of the war and the act of coming home bought happiness. We have almost the same idea. I feel that there was anger and pain toward the beginning of the poem and once he reach home that pain dissipated and overcame with tears of joy. My approach was using a song to lead into the poem. The song convey angry by families because their love ones left which leads into the poem where their all happy once they come home.