Du Fu led a nomadic existence during these years, composing poems about the events he observed and endured—famine, political instability, and personal sorrow. His work expresses the pain of lost love, the bitterness of separation, and the joy of reunion. Du Fu wrote about the natural world, including flowers, birds, fish, trees, and mountains, and also described ordinary people doing ordinary things: hunting, farming, making music, and dancing. He also wrote about kings and emperors, including their achievements and misdeeds. The poems are often simple and direct, using short lines to express complex ideas. They lack formal rules or guidelines, so each poem is unique. During his life, Du Fu was well known in his home region of north-central China, but today he is best known outside of China. His works have been translated into many languages, and some of his poems are included in classic books such as The Poems of Love from Ancient China by William John Hardy. Hebrew scholars believe that one of his poems may be the source of the Book of Job because of similarities in language and content. Another famous poet who lived around the same time as Du Fu is Li Po.