Autumn Poetry of East Asia: Choe Chiwon, Ariwara no Narihira & Du Fu

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What did autumn mean to poets in East Asia? A lonely night of rain, a river flowing endlessly, or crimson leaves turning the water red?

In this JIRO Local Now card-news feature, we explore autumn through classical poetry from Korea, Japan, and China. Follow Choe Chiwon’s reflections in Autumn Night, Rain, Ariwara no Narihira’s famous tanka about the Tatsuta River, and Du Fu’s powerful poem Climbing High.

Along the way, we visit autumn landscapes associated with these literary works and discover places in Korea where the season’s colors can still be experienced—from Piagol Valley on Jirisan to Hamyang Sangnim Forest and Eorayeon on the Donggang River.

Read the poems, explore the landscapes, and see how autumn brings together beauty, longing, and the passing of time.

As autumn rain falls and the leaves turn red, the max-level poet gazes upon the Yangtze River.

— Autumn Sijo of East Asia —

My mind has wandered ten thousand miles away, and now it’s raining outside my window, too.

I chant only sorrowful verses in the autumn wind,
Few in this world are those who truly know me.
Outside my window, rain falls in the deep of night,
By the lamplight, my heart wanders 
ten thousand miles away.

— Choe Chiwon, “Autumn Night, Rain” (Chuya Ujung, 秋夜雨中) —

— Choe Chiwon, “Autumn Night, Rain”—

The only thing close to me is 
the lamplight, while the hometown 
I long to return to is 
ten thousand miles away.

IS THIS DISTANCE CONTRAST FOR REAL?!

I’m literally tearing up 
just reading the poem… 
This bittersweet vibe is executed to perfection.

— Choe Chiwon, “Autumn Night, Rain”—

The rain and lamplight evoke an autumn night spent awake in solitude, while the heart reaching ten thousand miles away expresses the speaker’s longing for home.

The contrast between the nearby scenes of rain outside the window and the lamplight before his eyes, and the distant expanse of ten thousand miles, makes the poet’s autumn night feel lonely.

Did “Chuya Ujung” (Autumn Night, Rain) leave you emotionally devastated?

Watching the rain outside his window, the sentimental poet Choe Chiwon declared, 
“My heart is ten thousand miles away…”
Turns out, he was also a MASTER OF CIVIL ENGINEERING & LANDSCAPING, having built a 
1.6 km-long windbreak forest along a stream in Hamyang.

Hamyang Sangnim Forest

49, Pilbongsan-gil, Hamyang-eup, Hamyang-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea

Google Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/Vw9swST68Nod4qPo6

Feel that cool Jirisan breeze as you stroll through this 99,200 m² forest, and the autumn leaves are serving SERIOUS STYLE!
Endless tunnels of maple trees are unfolding before your eyes — enough to take 100 profile pics worthy of your old-school Cyworld Minihompy homepage!

It’s dyed the river with LEGENDARY AUTUMN COLORS so epic, they didn’t even exist in the age of the gods!

(Japanese Tanka)

In the age of the gods, they say, when wonders abounded,
Not even then had such a sight been heard of:
That the waters of the Tatsuta River
Could be dyed in crimson by autumn leaves so red.

(A celebrated poet of Japan’s Heian period)

Ariwara no Narihira
(Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, Poem No. 17)

Ariwara no Narihira 
(Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, Poem No. 17)

Ariwara no Narihira is completely MIND-BLOWN after witnessing the sight of the entire Tatsuta River
covered in red autumn leaves.

 
>>>“Even the gods must have never seen autumn leaves this spectacular before, right?” <<<

He just can’t help but marvel at the sight!
The overwhelmingly vivid red looks as if someone had poured watercolor paints straight into the river, unleashing an explosion of FIN-DE-SIÈCLE VIBES!

Coming to see the autumn leaves of tanka poetry~~^^???

Piagol Valley, Jirisan

Naeseo-ri, Toji-myeon, Gurye-gun, Jeollanam-do, South Korea

Google Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/VuBZSK7GCYvga7Zv8

Piagol Autumn Foliage
(One of Jirisan’s 10 Scenic Wonders ^^)

Jirisan’s iconic valley, now known as Piagol, was once called Pibatgol (literally, “field of millet”) because millet was widely cultivated there in the past.

From mid-October to early November, 
you can experience firsthand the breathtaking scenery of crimson autumn leaves reflected in the water and refreshing waterfalls in all their glory.

The max-level Poet Sage climbs to a high place, and it’s nothing but wind going absolutely wild!

(Chinese Classical Poetry)

The wind is fierce, the sky is high, 
and the cries of sorrowful monkeys ring out.

Over the clear water and sandy shores, birds take flight 
and circle back home.

Lonely and rustling, the falling leaves 
make their distant voices heard.

The mighty Yangtze flows on, vast and endless, 
stretching far into the distance.

— Du Fu, “Climbing High” (Deng Gao, 登高) —

— Du Fu, “Climbing High”  —

The fierce winds and mournful cries of 
monkeys evoke the desolate mood of autumn,
while the rustling, falling leaves portray 
the season as it gradually comes to an end.

The contrast between the endlessly falling leaves and the Yangtze River flowing on without end evokes both the grandeur of nature 
and the transience of life.

Eorayeon, Donggang River

259, Eorayeon-gil, Yeongwol-eup, Yeongwol-gun, Gangwon State, South Korea

Google Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/N5n7UxgQtioPCmoS9

It is said to be called “Eorayeon” because the scales of fish playing in 
the river shimmer like silk.

At Eorayeon, Donggang River, where fierce winds blow and the river winds around the mountain foothills, flowing endlessly, let’s experience the grandeur of nature and the transience of life that Du Fu sang of as he gazed upon the Yangtze River!

Autumn in East Asian poetry is more than a season of colorful leaves. It can express longing for home, the grandeur of nature, and the fleeting nature of human life.

From the crimson foliage of Piagol to the flowing waters of Eorayeon, these landscapes offer another way to approach the poems: by considering the places, images, and feelings behind the words.

Which poem or autumn landscape caught your attention most? Explore the card news and discover autumn through the eyes of poets from Korea, Japan, and China.

Photo Credits: 
Gangwon State, Gurye County Office, Yeongwol County Office, Jeonnam–Gwangju Integrated Special City, Korea Tourism Organization

Reference Sources: 
Yeongwol Culture & Tourism, Hamyang Culture & Tourism Portal