Du Fu ( Wade – Giles : Tu Fu ; Chinese : 杜甫 ; 712 – 770 ) was a prominent Chinese poet of the Tang dynasty . Along with Li Bai ( Li Po ) , he is frequently called the greatest of the Chinese poets . His greatest ambition was to serve his country as a successful civil servant , but he proved unable to make the necessary accommodations . His life , like the whole country , was devastated by the An Lushan Rebellion of 755 , and his last 15 years were a time of almost constant unrest .