Du Fu: Poet
Du Fu (Tang Dynasty), one of the key figures in the history of Chinese Incense Culture(香学).
Du Fu · Tang
Identity:Poet
Representative Incense Works / Incense Events:Incense Poetry
Du Fu occasionally wrote about incense with a somber tone: "The lamp's shadow shines, no sleep; heart clear, I smell the wondrous fragrance" (facing the monk's room's wondrous incense in 'Night in the Pavilion'); "With wind-rash all morning lazy, burning incense all day on credit." In his poetry, incense is a moment of purity amidst chaos, vastly different from the ornate style of Bai and Li.
With Chinese Incense Culture(香学)
From Du Fu's perspective, Chinese Incense Culture(香学) is not an isolated craft, but a process in which generations of literati and artisans continuously documented, systematized, and spiritualized olfactory experiences. Only by understanding these sages can one truly appreciate the weight of the wisp of incense in one's hand today.
Representative Incense Formulas · Incense Poems · Incense Discourses
Incense Poems"Lilac"
"The lilac's body is soft and weak, its tangled branches still cushioned. Fine leaves bear floating hairs, sparse flowers drape in plain splendor." — Du Fu used the frail lilac to express feelings about his own life's circumstances; lilac is also a traditional aromatic herb.
Incense Poems"Four Poems by the Riverbank · Gardenia"
"The gardenia compared with other trees, in the human world is truly not many. Its body's color is useful, yet with the Dao its qi harms harmony." Gardenia flowers are white with a clear fragrance, suitable for wearing and for burning; Du's poem uses fragrant wood to convey the virtue of a gentleman.