But first, for a while after his arrival in Changan, he had been heartsick and lonely. As he rested beside the river, he wrote, "The sun is dim at eventide and shines on the old Traveler's clothes. I have wandered over hills and streams and finally arrived at this busy place. The people I meet are all quite new. Shall I ever see my native place again? The great river rolls on Eastward, but the Traveler must rest here awhile. The triple city is filled with beautiful houses. Even in winter the trees are verdant still in this busy famous Capital. We hear the flute and musical pipes. Certainly, 'tis beautiful, but where shall I stay? I turn again to the river. The birds go back to their nests, but my home is far from here. The new moon is up but not very high, the stars shine brightly. Why should I be sorrowful? There have been many travelers."
However, now he was at the Palace. Gone was his melancholy mood. There were so many sights to stir a poet's thoughts, and almost everything he saw, he committed to written characters. The Chinese say, "The history of the State can be read in his poems."
Yang Kuei-fei inspired him to write,
"Next door to me the willows grow,
Graceful and slender like the waist of a young girl.
As I watched, the winds came
And broke many branches."
Between Tu Fu and Yang Kuei-fei there was an abiding
friendship. The Emperor was aware of it, and in
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