Tu Fu - 'Once again in the post office'

Tu Fu - 'Once again in the post office'

John Bjarne Grover

Tu Fu - 'Once again in the post office
for sending a sweet melody to copyright registration'

To send this far away, from now to be parted,
this vain straw doubles my emotion's like.
As when a cup is coupled, or a monopoly started -
yesternight's moon went like my travel's hike.

To send to the official register these laces
again against appearances to thrive:
A rude stream only is returning to my places -
still only caring for what's left of life.

(Translated in Venice on 24 march 2019. The chinese source with pinyin transcription and another translation is on this page.
The last word in line 6 is 'róng' which means 'glory, honor, thriving'. The first translation with 'glory' always looked strange - now I try the better 'thrive').