Ascending Heights

by Du Fu

translated by Yun Xing Zhe

Sharp wind, high sky;
gibbons sadly cry.
Clear islet, white sand;
birds in circles fly.
Endless trees on the shore,
yellow leaves rustle and fall.
Ceaseless water in the Yantze River
flows down my way without pause.
Wandering ten thousand li away from home,
I am saddened again by the autumn tune.
After years of chronic illness, I now
ascend the terrace alone.
This hard and bitter life has turned
my temples into frosty white.
Dawn on my luck, I have given up
my cup of unstrained wine.