_
_Our thoughts will be with each other.
_Our thoughts will be with each other.
Amy Lowell - Chinese Poets
The
Emperor immediately fell desperately in love with her, and she soon
became chief of the Palace ladies wearing "half the garments of an
Empress. "
Yang Kuei-fei rose to such heights of power that her word was law; she
had her own palace, her own dancing-girls, and was even allowed by the
doting monarch to adopt the great An Lu-shan, for whom she had a
passion, as her son. Her follies and extravagancies were innumerable,
and her ill-fame spread about the country to such an extent that, when
the rebellion broke out (see Note 37), the soldiers refused to fight
until she had been given over to them for execution.
After her death, Ming Huang spent three inconsolable years as an exile
in Szechwan, and his first act upon his return to the Empire, which he
had ceded to his son, was to open her grave. It was empty. Even the gold
hair-ornaments, and the half of a round gold box shared with the Emperor
as an emblem of conjugal unity, had gone; the only trace of the dead
beauty was the scent-bag in which she had kept these treasures. "Ah,"
cried the unhappy monarch, "may I not see even the bones of my beloved? "
In despair, he sent for a Taoist magician and begged him to search the
Worlds for Yang Kuei-fei. The Taoist burnt charms to enlist the help of
the beneficent spirits, but these were unsuccessful in their search. He
finally sat in contemplation until the "vital essence" issued from his
body and descended to the World of Shades. Here the names of all the
spirits who have passed from the World of Light are entered in
classified books, but that of Yang Kuei-fei was not among them. The
demon in charge insisted that if the name were not entered, the spirit
had not arrived, and the Taoist left, sad and crest-fallen.
He then reflected that if she really were not at the Yellow Springs
below, she must be among the Immortals above. He therefore ascended to
Paradise, and asked the first person he met, who happened to be the
Weaving Maiden who lives in the sky, for news of the lost lady. The
Weaving Maiden was most uncommunicative, and found much difficulty in
believing that Ming Huang, who had consented to the execution of Yang
Kuei-fei, really mourned her death, but finally admitted that she was
living among the Immortals on the island of P'êng Lai in the Jade-grey
Sea, and even assisted the Taoist to find her. She then told Yang
Kuei-fei that, if she still loved the Emperor, the Moon Mother might be
induced to allow a meeting at the full moon on the fifteenth day of the
Eighth Month. Yang Kuei-fei eagerly assented, and giving the Taoist a
gold hairpin and her half of the round box as a proof of her existence,
begged that he hasten back to the World of Light and make all
arrangements with her lover.
Accordingly, at the appointed time, the Taoist threw his fly-whip into
the air, creating a bridge of light between this world and the moon, and
over this Ming Huang passed. Yang Kuei-fei was waiting for him. She
stood under the great cassia-tree which grows in the moon, and was
surrounded by fairies.
The story, which is often sung to the air "Rainbow Skirts and Feather
Collar," goes on to relate that the Weaving Maiden was moved to deep
pity by their joy at meeting and arranged with the Jade Emperor, Chief
Ruler of the Heavens, that the pair, immortalized by their great love,
should live forever in the Tao Li Heaven.
THE PALACE WOMAN AND THE DRAGON ROBES
_Note 31. _
_I ponder his regard, not mine the love
Enjoyed by those within the Purple Palace. _
The Palace woman of Ch'in was evidently one of the lower ranks of
concubines who lived in the Women's Apartments and only appeared when
sent for, not in one of the palaces given to ladies of higher rank.
_Note 32. _
_If floods should come, I also would not leave.
A bear might come and still I could protect. _
Now that she is no longer needed, she reflects sadly on the stories of
two heroines whose behaviour she would gladly have emulated. These are
Fên Chieh-yü, a favourite of the Han Emperor, Yüan, who once protected
her master with her own body from the attack of a bear which had broken
out of its cage; and Liu Fu-jên, concubine of King Chao of Ch'u. It is
told of Liu Fu-jên that one day she went with the King to the "Terrace
by the Stream," where he told her to wait for him until he returned from
the capital. While she waited, the river rose, but she refused to leave
unless by Imperial command. By the time this arrived she was drowned.
_Note 33. _
_Of serving Sun and Moon. _
The "Sun and Moon" are the Emperor and Empress.
THE NANKING WINE-SHOP
_Note 34. _
_In the wine-shops of Wu, women are pressing the wine. _
Wine made from grain is fermented for several weeks in tubs and then
strained or "pressed" through cloths. It is not red, like wine from
grapes, but either a shade of yellow or pure white. Wines made from
grapes, plums, apples, pears, lichis, and roses, are sometimes used, but
are not nearly so strong as the decoctions from grains.
FÊNG HUANG T'AI
_Note 35. _
_The silver-crested love-pheasants strutted upon the Pheasant
Terrace. _
About A. D. 493, three strange and beautiful birds were noticed inside
the city walls of Nanking, then called the "City of the Golden Mound. "
At first, the people did not suspect the identity of the birds, but when
they saw that all the other birds assembled and appeared to be paying
homage to the strangers, they realized that the visitors were the famous
_Fêng Huang_. (See table of mythical birds in Introduction. ) The terrace
was built to commemorate the occasion.
_Note 36. _
_Here also, drifting clouds may blind the Sun. _
The drifting clouds are supposed to be the evil courtiers who have
poisoned the mind of the Emperor, i. e. the Sun, against Li T'ai-po.
THE NORTHERN FLIGHT
_Note 37. _
The An Lu-shan rebellion, which broke out during the reign of the T'ang
Emperor, Ming Huang, was very nearly successful, and, if the leader had
not been assassinated in A. D. 757 by his son, might have caused the
overthrow of the dynasty. As it was, the Emperor, having fled to
Szechwan--a step strongly deprecated by Li Tai-po in the poem, "The
Perils of the Shu Road" (see Note 11)--abdicated in favour of _his_ son,
Su Tsung, who crushed the rebellion. The poem refers to the time when it
was at its height, and the Emperor's forces were flying to the North.
_Note 38. _
_The rushing whale squeezes the Yellow River;
The man-eating beasts with long tusks assemble at Lo Yang. _
During the rebellion, both sides of the Yellow River were lined with
rebels, the population was obliged to fly, and the country was
devastated as if a whale had rushed up the river and caused it to
overflow its banks.
The "beasts" are fabulous creatures called _tso chih_, with tusks three
feet long, who delight in eating the flesh of men. Li T'ai-po uses them
metaphorically for the rebels who are threatening the capital.
_Note 39. _
_When, before our glad faces, shall we see the Glory of Heaven? _
The Emperor, under the usual figure of the Sun.
THE CROSSWISE RIVER
_Note 40. _
_I say the Crosswise River is terrible.
The savage wind blows as if it would overturn the Heaven's Gate
Mountains. _
The "Crosswise River" is that section of the Yangtze which flows past
steep cliffs in Anhwei. The "Heaven's Gate Mountains" tower above,
making a sharp defile.
_Note 41. _
_From the beginning of things, the Ox Ledge has been more dangerous
than the Standing Horse Hill. _
A very swift current runs past the Ox Lodge, and boats are obliged to
wait for daylight before attempting to breast it. The Standing Horse
Hill, so called from its resemblance to a standing horse, is above a
reach of the Yangtze where the river is comparatively tranquil.
_Note 42. _
_Is the Eighth Month tide-bore of Chêkiang equal to this? _
The T'ien River in Chêkiang is famous for its bore, or tidal wave.
During the Autumnal equinox, this bore sometimes attains a height of
twenty feet and more.
CH'ANG KAN
_Note 43. _
_I could not yet lay aside my face of shame;
I hung my head, facing the dark wall. _
In China, little girls are supposed to hide their faces at the
suggestion of marriage.
_Note 44. _
_I often thought that you were the faithful man who clung to the
bridge-post. _
A certain Wei Shêng had a great reputation for sincerity and
reliability, which was put to proof on an occasion when he had an
appointment with a lady to meet on a bridge. The lady did not come. But,
in spite of the fact that the waters rose to a flood, Wei Shêng would
not leave. Finally, as he stood there clinging to the bridge-post to
keep himself firm, the waves engulfed him and he was never seen again.
_Note 45. _
_That I should never be obliged to ascend the Looking-for-Husband
Ledge. _
A hill on the banks of the Yangtze, so called because of a legend that,
many centuries ago, a wife, whose husband had been away for several
years, went daily to watch for his returning sail. In the end, she was
turned to stone on the spot where she had kept her vigil.
_Note 46. _
_To the Ch'ü Tang Chasm and the Whirling Water Rock of the Yü River
Which, during the Fifth Month, must not be collided with;
Where the wailing of the gibbons seems to come from the sky. _
The Ch'ü T'ang is the first of the three noted chasms in the upper
reaches of the Yangtze. At the point where the River Yü empties into the
Yangtze, there is a great rock which, when uncovered, is more than two
hundred feet high. In the Fifth Month (June) the water from the melting
snows of the Tibetan mountains causes the river to rise to such an
extent that the rock is covered, which makes it especially dangerous to
navigation. The height of the cliffs on either side of the gorge is so
tremendous that the wailing of the gibbons (see Note 15) in the woods
above sounds as though it came from the sky.
_Note 47. _
_I will not go far on the road to meet you,
I will go straight until I reach the Long Wind Sands. _
The Long Wind Sands are many a day's journey from the village of Ch'ang
Kan, which stands just outside the South Gate of Nanking. What the lady
implies is that she will go to "the ends of the earth" to meet her
returning husband.
SORROW DURING A CLEAR AUTUMN
_Note 48. _
_I climb the hills of Chiu I. _
The Chiu I, or "Nine Peaks," lie to the South of the Tung T'ing Lake
(see map) into which the three divisions of the Hsiang River debouch
after having united.
_Note 49. _
_I go by the "Bird's Path. "_
A term very often used for steep mountain paths.
_Note 50. _
_I think much of fishing for a leviathan from the Island of the Cold
Sea. _
The legend referred to at the end of the poem is as follows: A group of
five islands in the Pi Hai, the Jade-grey Sea, were inhabited by the
Immortals, who found themselves very uncomfortable as these islands,
instead of standing firmly, rose and fell in the most disconcerting
manner. The Immortals therefore applied to the Jade Emperor for
assistance, and he commanded fifteen leviathans, three to each island,
to raise their heads and support the islands, thus keeping them from
rocking. All was well until a man from the Elder Dragon Country appeared
and with one cast of his line caught six of the monsters, the result
being that two of the islands toppled over and sank in the sea. The
three which remain are known as the "Three Hills of the Immortals. " This
tale has become proverbial, and people who are disappointed in their
ambition say "I have no rod with which to catch a leviathan. "
POIGNANT GRIEF DURING A SUNNY SPRING
_Note 51. _
_I feel as one feels listening to the sound of the waters of the
Dragon Mound in Ch'in. _
(See Note 9. )
_Note 52. _
_The gibbons wailing by the Serpent River. _
(See Note 15. )
_Note 53. _
_I feel as the "Shining One" felt when she passed the Jade Frontier,
As the exile of Ch'u in the Maple Forest. _
Two allusions which suggest homesickness. The "Shining One" is Chao
Chün. (See Note 79. ) The exile of Ch'u is Ch'ü Yüan, the famous
statesman. (See Note 62. )
TWO POEMS WRITTEN TO TS'UI (THE OFFICIAL)
_Note 54. _
In both these poems, Ts'ui is compared to T'ao Yüan-ming, author of
"Once More Fields and Gardens," published in this volume. T'ao is the
ideal of the educated scholar, who prefers a life in the fields to any
official post. Many stories are told of him. He planted five willows in
front of his house, and is therefore often spoken of as the "Teacher of
the Five Willows. " He was so fond of music that he declared he could
imagine the sweet sounds of the _ch'in_, and often carried about a
stringless instrument over which he moved his hands. The _ch'in_, or
table-lute, is fully described in Note 114.
WIND-BOUND AT THE NEW FOREST REACH
_Note 55. _
_To-day, at dawn, see the willows beyond the White Gate. _
The White Gate is the Western Gate. The points of the compass are
governed by colours, elements, mythological beasts, and seasons, thus:
East: Green. Wood. The Blue-green Dragon. Spring.
South: Red. Fire. The Vermilion Bird. Summer. West: White. Metal. The
White Tiger. Autumn. North: Black. Water. The Black Warrior. Winter.
Centre: Yellow. Earth.
DRINKING ALONE IN THE MOONLIGHT
_Note 56. _
_But we will keep our appointment by the far-off Cloudy River. _
The Cloudy River is the Chinese name for the Milky Way.
_Note 57. _
_There would be no Wine Star in Heaven. _
The Wine Star is a constellation composed of three stars, to the North
of the Dipper.
_Note 58. _
_There should be no Wine Springs on Earth. _
The Wine Springs lie, one in Kansu, and one in Shansi. (See map. ) The
water of the one in Kansu is supposed to taste like wine, that of the
one in Shansi is used in the making of wine.
RIVER CHANT
_Note 59. _
_Jade flageolets and pipes of gold. _
The Chinese flageolet is a tube measuring a little more than a foot in
length. It has five holes above, one below, and one at the end through
which it is played. They are now made of bamboo, but formerly were made
of copper, jadestone, or marble, as such materials were considered less
liable to be affected by the weather.
_Note 60. _
_The Immortal waited,
Then mounted and rode the yellow crane. _
Tou Tzŭ-an, who had attained Immortality by living a life of
contemplation, was transported to the Taoist Paradise by a crane so old
that it had turned yellow.
_Note 61. _
_Rather would he be followed by the white gulls. _
This line refers to a story from a book treating of Taoist subjects long
supposed to have been written by a philosopher called Lieh Tzŭ, but this
is now known to have been a Second Century forgery. A translation of the
story reads: "The man who lived by the sea loved the sea-gulls. Every
day, as the sun rose above the horizon, the birds from the sea assembled
in hundreds and flew about. His father said: 'I hear the sea-gulls
follow you and fly round you. Catch some in your hands and bring them to
me that I too may enjoy them. ' The next day the birds from the sea all
performed the posturing dance in the air, but did not descend. "
_Note 62. _
_The_ tzŭ _and_ fu _of Ch'ü P'ing hang suspended like the sun and
moon. _
The _tzŭ_ and _fu_ are two irregular forms of verse, they are referred
to in the Introduction in the part dealing with versification. Ch'ü
P'ing is another name for Ch'ü Yüan, a famous poet and statesman who
lived 332-295 B. C. (See Introduction. )
_Note 63. _
_I could move the Five Peaks. _
The sacred mountains of the "four quarters" and the nadir (or the four
points of the compass and the centre of the earth). They are the T'ai
Shan in the East, the Hua Shan in the West, the Hêng Shan in the North,
the Hêng Shan in the South, and the Sung Shan in the centre.
SEPARATED BY IMPERIAL SUMMONS
_Note 64. _
_The Emperor commands; three times the summons. He who left has not
yet returned. _
The official has not responded quickly to the summons from the capital,
so the messenger has been obliged to come three times. Upon the third
occasion, the official realizes that the matter is urgent and prepares
to depart the next day at sunrise, before the messenger can have
reached the Palace on his return journey.
_Note 65.
_
_Our thoughts will be with each other. I must ascend the
Looking-for-Husband Hill. _
(See Note 45. )
_Note 66. _
_You must not imitate Su Ch'in's wife and not leave your loom. _
Su Ch'in, who lived in the Fourth Century B. C. , was away from home many
years; when he returned, his wife took no notice whatever, and did not
even leave the loom at which she sat weaving cloth.
A WOMAN SINGS TO THE AIR: "SITTING AT NIGHT"
_Note 67. _
_I sit, sit in the North Hall. _
The "North Hall" is a term for the Women's Apartments, which always lie
farthest from the Great Gate placed in the South wall of the house. (See
Plan of House. )
_Note 68. _
_Then, though my Lord sang ten thousand verses which should cause
even the dust on the beams to fly, to me it would be nothing. _
It is said that when Yü Kung, a man of the State of Lu who lived during
the Han Dynasty, sang, the sounds were so exquisite that even the dust
on the beams flew. "To cause the dust on the beams to fly" has therefore
become a current saying.
THE PALACE WOMAN AND THE SOLDIERS' COOK
_Note 69. _
_Once the Unworthy One was a maiden of the Ts'ung Terrace. _
The Ts'ung Terrace referred to by the sad lady who, in the dispersal of
the Palace women (see Introduction), had fallen to such a low degree,
stood in the Palace of King Chao, who lived at the time of the "Spring
and Autumn Annals," many centuries before our era.
A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN ENCOUNTERED ON A FIELD-PATH
_Note 70. _
_Down comes the riding-whip, straight down--it strikes the Five
Cloud Cart. _
The Immortals used Five Coloured Clouds to ride upon, therefore the
term, "Five Cloud Cart," has become a complimentary expression for a
cart or carriage in which a beautiful young woman is travelling.
HEARING A BAMBOO FLUTE IN THE CITY OF LO YANG
_Note 71. _
_I hear "The Snapped Willow. "_
An allusion to the old song suggesting homesickness. (See Note 2. )
THE RETREAT OF HSIEH KUNG
_Note 72. _ Hsieh Kung is the honorary title of the poet, Hsieh T'iao,
who lived in the Fifth Century A. D. Li T'ai-po, who greatly admired him,
constantly quoted his poems, and expressed a wish to be buried on the
Spring-green Mountain where Hsieh Kung had lived. Some accounts say that
he was first buried elsewhere, but that afterwards his body was removed
and put where he desired.
A TRAVELLER COMES TO THE OLD TERRACE OF SU
_Note 73. _
_The old Imperial Park--the ruined Terrace--the young willows. _
Early in the Fifth Century B. C. , Fu Ch'ai, King of Wu, built the Ku Su
Terrace to please Hsi Shin, one of the most famous beauties in history.
It was nearly two miles long, and took three years to build. Its
foundations can still be traced on the hills near Soochow, which was the
capital of Wu.
THE REST-HOUSE ON THE CLEAR WAN RIVER
_Note 74. _
_I love the beauty of the Wan River. _
A little river near Ning Kuo-fu in Anhwei. (See map. )
_Note 75. _
_Really, one cannot help laughing to think that, until now, the
rapid current celebrated by Yen
Has usurped all the fame. _
The philosopher Yen Kuang (_circa_ A. D. 25) is better known as Yen
Tzŭ-ling. The river in which he loved to fish was the Hsin An.
ANSWER TO AN AFFECTIONATE INVITATION FROM TS'UI FIFTEEN
_Note 76. _
A party of friends who are in the habit of meeting each other constantly
are called by numbers according to age. The same custom is used to
distinguish members of a family. (See Introduction. )
_Note 77. _
_You have the "bird's foot-print" characters. _
Writing is supposed by the Chinese to have been invented by Ts'ang
Chieh, a minister of the Yellow Emperor (2698-2598 B. C. ) who, having
"observed the shapes of things in the heavens and the forms of things on
earth, also the foot-prints of birds and beasts on the sand and mud,"
suddenly conceived the idea of pictographic writing. It is highly
complimentary to speak of a person's writing as being like the "bird's
foot-prints. "
_Note 78. _
_You suggest that we drink together at the Lute Stream. _
The Ch'in Ch'i T'ai (Table-lute Stream Terrace) was a stone terrace
where a famous player of the table-lute, who is said to have attained
Immortality, lived. The legend is that he took a small dragon in the
form of a carp from the Ch'in stream and kept it for a month, when it
changed its shape into that of a dragon and ascended to Heaven.
THE HONOURABLE LADY CHAO
_Note 79. _
_Moon over the houses of Han, over the site of Ch'in. _
Ch'in was the name of the State which overcame all the others and welded
China into a homogeneous Empire instead of a loose federation. (See
Introduction. ) The lady Chao lived during the Han Dynasty.
Wang Ch'iang, known to posterity as Chao Chün, the
"Brilliant-and-Perfect," lived in the First Century B. C. The daughter of
educated parents, she was brought up in the strictest Confucian
principles; in the words of the Chinese, she "did not speak loudly nor
did she look beyond the doors, indeed, even within the house, she only
walked the path which led to her mother's room. Her ears were closed to
all distracting sounds, therefore her heart and mind were pure like
those of the Immortals. " Her father regarded her as a precious jewel,
and although many suitors presented themselves, he refused to listen to
their proposals, and finally, when she was seventeen, sent her to the
capital as an offering to the Han Emperor Yüan.
Upon arriving at the Palace, the young girl was housed in the inner
rooms, among the innumerable Palace women who lived there in constant
hope of a summons to the Imperial presence. As the Son of Heaven never
went into this part of his Palace, it was customary to catalogue the
inmates and submit their portraits to him, a form of procedure which led
to much bribery of the Court painters. The rigid principles of the
daughter of the Wang clan forbade her to comply with this Palace custom,
and the portrait which appeared in the catalogue was such a travesty of
her exquisite features that it roused no desire in the Imperial breast.
Five or six dreary years passed, and the young girl remained secluded in
the Women's Apartments. Shortly before this time, one of the Hsiung Nu
tribes (see Note 3) had surrendered to the Chinese soldiers, and as a
proof of good faith on both sides had received permission to serve as a
frontier guard. Soon after, the head of the tribe sent to ask that one
of Yüan Ti's ladies be sent him as Queen. The catalogue was consulted,
and the decision fell upon the daughter of Wang as being the one among
the Palace women who had the fewest charms. She was therefore told to
prepare herself for a journey to the desert wastes where she would reign
over a savage Central Asian tribe, a prospect terrifying to one brought
up in strict seclusion among people of refinement.
Custom demanded that, on the point of departure, she should appear
before the Son of Heaven in order to thank her Imperial Master for his
kind thoughtfulness in thus providing for her future, and then be
formally handed over to the envoys. The audience was held in one of the
secondary halls, the Court was assembled, the envoys stood ready, and
the lady entered. At the sight of her unusual beauty, every one was
thunderstruck, even the Emperor could hardly refrain from springing off
the Dragon Throne and speaking to her. But it was too late; there was
nothing to be done. The most beautiful of all the Palace women was
pledged to the Hsiung Nu Khan, the escort which was to convey her over
the Jade Pass waited, and soon the broken-hearted girl set off.
Fury and consternation spread through the Palace; a camel laden with
gold was sent in pursuit; the guilty painter, Mao Yen-shou, was executed
and his immense fortune sent as a consolation to the Wang family; but
all this could not save the young girl from her fate. The Hsiung Nu
ambassador refused to ransom her, and she passed out through the Jade
Barrier to the "Yellow Sand Fields" beyond.
The banished daughter of Han was true to the principles in which she
had been schooled. Instead of committing suicide, as she longed to do,
she submitted to the will of the Five Great Ones--Heaven, Earth, The
Emperor, her Father, and her Mother--and performed her duties as a wife
to the best of her ability in spite of the homesickness from which she
suffered perpetually.
Upon the death of the Khan, she felt that her hour of deliverance had at
last come and that she was at liberty to poison herself. This she did,
and was buried in the desert, but the mound over her grave remained
always green.
Because of her pseudonym, "Brilliant-and-Perfect," she is often referred
to as "Ming Fei," the "Bright Concubine. " Allusions to her story always
suggest homesickness.
THINKING OF THE FRONTIER
_Note 80. _
_I desire to send the "harmonious writings. "_
Letters from wives to husbands are often spoken of as though they
carried sweet sounds.
_Note 81. _
_He who wears the dragon robes delighted in the sweetly-scented wind
of her garments. _
Appointments for the Emperor's use were all spoken of as "dragon"
appointments, and the analysis of the character which means the
Emperor's love, is a dragon under a roof. Ladies' clothes were, and are
to-day, kept in cupboards in which scented woods were burned, therefore
as the long sleeves of their dresses swayed back and forth a sweet
perfume came from them.
_Note 82. _
_How was it possible for the "Flying Swallow" to snatch the Emperor's
love? _
The "Flying Swallow" was a famous concubine. (See Note 30. )
RECITING VERSES BY MOONLIGHT
_Note 83. _
_I suggest that men meditate at length on Hsieh Hsüan Hui. _
A reference, under a pseudonym, to the poet Hsieh T'iao, whose work Li
T'ai-po so much admired. (See Note 72. ) "Hsüan" is applied to the names
of gods to indicate that they deserve praise and worship, and "Hui"
means bright, splendid, or a ray of the sun.
PASSING THE NIGHT AT THE WHITE HERON ISLAND
_Note 84. _
_At dawn, I left the Red Bird Gate. _
An allusion to the bird which rules the South. (See Note 55. )
_Note 85. _
_At sunset, I came to roost on the White Heron Island. _
According to the Chinese commentary, this island lies "in the heart's
centre of the river, three _li_ West of the district of the Golden Mound
(Nanking), and many herons collect there. "
_Note 86. _
_And the longing in my heart is like that for the Green Jasper Tree. _
This tree grows in the Taoist Paradise, supposed to lie in the K'un Lun
Mountains. (See map. ) Those who eat its blossoms become immortal.
ASCENDING THE THREE CHASMS
_Note 87. _
These are the famous chasms of the Yangtze River, between Ichang and
Chungking. Their names are: "The Terrifying Barrier," "The Sorceress
Gorge," and "The Western Sepulchre. " Joined together in one great line
of precipitous cliffs, they are among the extraordinary natural objects
of the world and are most awe-inspiring.
_Note 88. _
_The Serpent River runs terribly fast.
The Serpent River can be suddenly exhausted. _
A reference to the fact that, although the water of the river flows with
terrible speed while the snow waters are coming down, during the Winter
it is very low, and many parts are quite dry. (See Note 46. )
_Note 89. _
_Three dawns shine upon the Yellow Ox.
Three sunsets--and we go so slowly. _
A cliff beneath which are rapids so difficult and dangerous to pass that
the utmost care must be taken in navigating them. Boats ascending this
stretch of the river often take several days to pass a given point. (See
Introduction for a description of the Yangtze River and travel upon it. )
PARTING FROM YANG, A HILL MAN
_Note 90. _
_You are going to pick the fairy grasses
And the shooting purple flower of the_ ch'ang p'u.
"Hill men" is a term applied to those who desire to become worthy of
joining the ranks of the Immortals, and for this reason lead a life of
contemplation among the hills. The fairy grasses and the _ch'ang p'u_
(see table of plants in Introduction) both grow in the Taoist Paradises.
_Note 91. _
_Riding down from the green-blue Heaven on a white dragon. _
The dragon is one of the steeds of the Immortals.
THE SERPENT MOUND
_Note 92. _
_The mercy of the Sainted Lord is far greater than that of Han Wên
Ti.
The Princely One had pity, and did not appoint you to the station of
the Unending Sands. _
The allusion is to an incident which occurred in the Second Century
B. C. when a famous scholar named Chia was sent to Ch'ang Sha, literally
"Unending Sands" (see map), and died there of the damp vapours.
ON THE SUBJECT OF OLD TAI'S WINE-SHOP
_Note 93. _
_Old Tai is gone down to the Yellow Springs. _
The Yellow Springs lie in the nether world, where spirits go after
death.
_Note 94. _
_There is no Li Po on the terrace of Eternal Darkness. _
This world is known as the World of Light, and below it lies the World
of Shades, where the sun never shines.
DRINKING IN THE T'AO PAVILION
_Note 95. _
_The garden pool lies and shines like the magic gall mirror. _
The Magic Gall Mirror was a square of glittering, polished metal
supposed to possess the miraculous power of betraying the thoughts of
all who looked into it, by making the heart and "five viscera" visible.
The ferocious First Emperor used it to examine his numerous Palace
women, and those who, by a palpitating gall, showed lack of faith were
put to death.
_Note 96. _
_The Golden Valley is not much to boast of. _
A beautiful garden built by the rich and eccentric Shih Ch'ung (died
A. D. 300) for his favourite concubine Lü Chu.
A SONG FOR THE HOUR WHEN THE CROWS ROOST
_Note 97. _
_This is the hour when the crows come to roost on the Ku Su Terrace. _
(See Note 73. )
_Note 98. _
_The silver-white arrow-tablet above the gold-coloured brass jar
of the water-clock marks the dripping of much water_.
(See Note 22. )
POEM SENT TO THE OFFICIAL WANG OF HAN YANG
_Note 99. _
_The shrill notes of the bamboo flute reached to Mien and O. _
Mien and O are the ancient names for Hankow and Wuchang.
DRINKING ALONE ON THE ROCK IN THE RIVER OF THE CLEAR STREAM
_Note 100. _
_Perpetually casting my fish-line like Yen Ling. _
Yen Ling is one of the names of the philosopher Yen Kuang. (See Note
75. )
THE REST-HOUSE OF DEEP TROUBLE
_Note 101. _
_At Chin Ling, the tavern where travellers part is called the
Rest-House of Deep Trouble. _
An inn fifteen _li_ South of the district in which Chin Ling (Nanking)
stands.
_Note 102. _
_Like K'ang Lo I climb on board the dull travelling boat. _
K'ang Lo is a pseudonym for the poet Hsieh Ling-yün, who lived in the
Fifth Century A. D.
_Note 103. _
_I hum softly "On the Clear Streams Flies the Night Frost. "_
A line from one of Hsieh Ling-yün's poems.
_Note 104. _
_It is said that, long ago, on the Ox Island Hill, songs were sung
which blended the five colours. _
The "five colours" are blue-green, yellow, carnation, white, and black.
Anything that is perfectly harmonious is spoken of figuratively as being
blended like the five colours.
Rapids flow past the Ox Island Hill on the Yangtze, which is not to be
confused with the Ox Hill at the Yangtze Gorges.
_Note 105. _
_Now do I not equal Hsieh, and the youth of the House of Yüan? _
Yüan Hung lived in the time of the Chin Dynasty. His poems were both
erudite and beautiful, but his extreme poverty forced him to take a
position on a freight-boat plying up and down the Yangtze. One night, as
the vessel lay below the dangerous Ox Rapids waiting for daylight, the
official of the place, a learned man named Hsieh Shang, heard Yüan
Hung's exquisite songs and was so delighted that he insisted upon the
singer's accompanying him to the Official Residence. Here the days and
nights were passed in conversation, and upon Yüan Hung's departure,
Hsieh gave him much silver and gold, and eventually used his influence
to enable the young man to become an official. Since then all men have
heard of Yüan Hung. Li T'ai-po compares his lonely lot to that of the
youth who possessed a faithful friend.
_Note 106.
Emperor immediately fell desperately in love with her, and she soon
became chief of the Palace ladies wearing "half the garments of an
Empress. "
Yang Kuei-fei rose to such heights of power that her word was law; she
had her own palace, her own dancing-girls, and was even allowed by the
doting monarch to adopt the great An Lu-shan, for whom she had a
passion, as her son. Her follies and extravagancies were innumerable,
and her ill-fame spread about the country to such an extent that, when
the rebellion broke out (see Note 37), the soldiers refused to fight
until she had been given over to them for execution.
After her death, Ming Huang spent three inconsolable years as an exile
in Szechwan, and his first act upon his return to the Empire, which he
had ceded to his son, was to open her grave. It was empty. Even the gold
hair-ornaments, and the half of a round gold box shared with the Emperor
as an emblem of conjugal unity, had gone; the only trace of the dead
beauty was the scent-bag in which she had kept these treasures. "Ah,"
cried the unhappy monarch, "may I not see even the bones of my beloved? "
In despair, he sent for a Taoist magician and begged him to search the
Worlds for Yang Kuei-fei. The Taoist burnt charms to enlist the help of
the beneficent spirits, but these were unsuccessful in their search. He
finally sat in contemplation until the "vital essence" issued from his
body and descended to the World of Shades. Here the names of all the
spirits who have passed from the World of Light are entered in
classified books, but that of Yang Kuei-fei was not among them. The
demon in charge insisted that if the name were not entered, the spirit
had not arrived, and the Taoist left, sad and crest-fallen.
He then reflected that if she really were not at the Yellow Springs
below, she must be among the Immortals above. He therefore ascended to
Paradise, and asked the first person he met, who happened to be the
Weaving Maiden who lives in the sky, for news of the lost lady. The
Weaving Maiden was most uncommunicative, and found much difficulty in
believing that Ming Huang, who had consented to the execution of Yang
Kuei-fei, really mourned her death, but finally admitted that she was
living among the Immortals on the island of P'êng Lai in the Jade-grey
Sea, and even assisted the Taoist to find her. She then told Yang
Kuei-fei that, if she still loved the Emperor, the Moon Mother might be
induced to allow a meeting at the full moon on the fifteenth day of the
Eighth Month. Yang Kuei-fei eagerly assented, and giving the Taoist a
gold hairpin and her half of the round box as a proof of her existence,
begged that he hasten back to the World of Light and make all
arrangements with her lover.
Accordingly, at the appointed time, the Taoist threw his fly-whip into
the air, creating a bridge of light between this world and the moon, and
over this Ming Huang passed. Yang Kuei-fei was waiting for him. She
stood under the great cassia-tree which grows in the moon, and was
surrounded by fairies.
The story, which is often sung to the air "Rainbow Skirts and Feather
Collar," goes on to relate that the Weaving Maiden was moved to deep
pity by their joy at meeting and arranged with the Jade Emperor, Chief
Ruler of the Heavens, that the pair, immortalized by their great love,
should live forever in the Tao Li Heaven.
THE PALACE WOMAN AND THE DRAGON ROBES
_Note 31. _
_I ponder his regard, not mine the love
Enjoyed by those within the Purple Palace. _
The Palace woman of Ch'in was evidently one of the lower ranks of
concubines who lived in the Women's Apartments and only appeared when
sent for, not in one of the palaces given to ladies of higher rank.
_Note 32. _
_If floods should come, I also would not leave.
A bear might come and still I could protect. _
Now that she is no longer needed, she reflects sadly on the stories of
two heroines whose behaviour she would gladly have emulated. These are
Fên Chieh-yü, a favourite of the Han Emperor, Yüan, who once protected
her master with her own body from the attack of a bear which had broken
out of its cage; and Liu Fu-jên, concubine of King Chao of Ch'u. It is
told of Liu Fu-jên that one day she went with the King to the "Terrace
by the Stream," where he told her to wait for him until he returned from
the capital. While she waited, the river rose, but she refused to leave
unless by Imperial command. By the time this arrived she was drowned.
_Note 33. _
_Of serving Sun and Moon. _
The "Sun and Moon" are the Emperor and Empress.
THE NANKING WINE-SHOP
_Note 34. _
_In the wine-shops of Wu, women are pressing the wine. _
Wine made from grain is fermented for several weeks in tubs and then
strained or "pressed" through cloths. It is not red, like wine from
grapes, but either a shade of yellow or pure white. Wines made from
grapes, plums, apples, pears, lichis, and roses, are sometimes used, but
are not nearly so strong as the decoctions from grains.
FÊNG HUANG T'AI
_Note 35. _
_The silver-crested love-pheasants strutted upon the Pheasant
Terrace. _
About A. D. 493, three strange and beautiful birds were noticed inside
the city walls of Nanking, then called the "City of the Golden Mound. "
At first, the people did not suspect the identity of the birds, but when
they saw that all the other birds assembled and appeared to be paying
homage to the strangers, they realized that the visitors were the famous
_Fêng Huang_. (See table of mythical birds in Introduction. ) The terrace
was built to commemorate the occasion.
_Note 36. _
_Here also, drifting clouds may blind the Sun. _
The drifting clouds are supposed to be the evil courtiers who have
poisoned the mind of the Emperor, i. e. the Sun, against Li T'ai-po.
THE NORTHERN FLIGHT
_Note 37. _
The An Lu-shan rebellion, which broke out during the reign of the T'ang
Emperor, Ming Huang, was very nearly successful, and, if the leader had
not been assassinated in A. D. 757 by his son, might have caused the
overthrow of the dynasty. As it was, the Emperor, having fled to
Szechwan--a step strongly deprecated by Li Tai-po in the poem, "The
Perils of the Shu Road" (see Note 11)--abdicated in favour of _his_ son,
Su Tsung, who crushed the rebellion. The poem refers to the time when it
was at its height, and the Emperor's forces were flying to the North.
_Note 38. _
_The rushing whale squeezes the Yellow River;
The man-eating beasts with long tusks assemble at Lo Yang. _
During the rebellion, both sides of the Yellow River were lined with
rebels, the population was obliged to fly, and the country was
devastated as if a whale had rushed up the river and caused it to
overflow its banks.
The "beasts" are fabulous creatures called _tso chih_, with tusks three
feet long, who delight in eating the flesh of men. Li T'ai-po uses them
metaphorically for the rebels who are threatening the capital.
_Note 39. _
_When, before our glad faces, shall we see the Glory of Heaven? _
The Emperor, under the usual figure of the Sun.
THE CROSSWISE RIVER
_Note 40. _
_I say the Crosswise River is terrible.
The savage wind blows as if it would overturn the Heaven's Gate
Mountains. _
The "Crosswise River" is that section of the Yangtze which flows past
steep cliffs in Anhwei. The "Heaven's Gate Mountains" tower above,
making a sharp defile.
_Note 41. _
_From the beginning of things, the Ox Ledge has been more dangerous
than the Standing Horse Hill. _
A very swift current runs past the Ox Lodge, and boats are obliged to
wait for daylight before attempting to breast it. The Standing Horse
Hill, so called from its resemblance to a standing horse, is above a
reach of the Yangtze where the river is comparatively tranquil.
_Note 42. _
_Is the Eighth Month tide-bore of Chêkiang equal to this? _
The T'ien River in Chêkiang is famous for its bore, or tidal wave.
During the Autumnal equinox, this bore sometimes attains a height of
twenty feet and more.
CH'ANG KAN
_Note 43. _
_I could not yet lay aside my face of shame;
I hung my head, facing the dark wall. _
In China, little girls are supposed to hide their faces at the
suggestion of marriage.
_Note 44. _
_I often thought that you were the faithful man who clung to the
bridge-post. _
A certain Wei Shêng had a great reputation for sincerity and
reliability, which was put to proof on an occasion when he had an
appointment with a lady to meet on a bridge. The lady did not come. But,
in spite of the fact that the waters rose to a flood, Wei Shêng would
not leave. Finally, as he stood there clinging to the bridge-post to
keep himself firm, the waves engulfed him and he was never seen again.
_Note 45. _
_That I should never be obliged to ascend the Looking-for-Husband
Ledge. _
A hill on the banks of the Yangtze, so called because of a legend that,
many centuries ago, a wife, whose husband had been away for several
years, went daily to watch for his returning sail. In the end, she was
turned to stone on the spot where she had kept her vigil.
_Note 46. _
_To the Ch'ü Tang Chasm and the Whirling Water Rock of the Yü River
Which, during the Fifth Month, must not be collided with;
Where the wailing of the gibbons seems to come from the sky. _
The Ch'ü T'ang is the first of the three noted chasms in the upper
reaches of the Yangtze. At the point where the River Yü empties into the
Yangtze, there is a great rock which, when uncovered, is more than two
hundred feet high. In the Fifth Month (June) the water from the melting
snows of the Tibetan mountains causes the river to rise to such an
extent that the rock is covered, which makes it especially dangerous to
navigation. The height of the cliffs on either side of the gorge is so
tremendous that the wailing of the gibbons (see Note 15) in the woods
above sounds as though it came from the sky.
_Note 47. _
_I will not go far on the road to meet you,
I will go straight until I reach the Long Wind Sands. _
The Long Wind Sands are many a day's journey from the village of Ch'ang
Kan, which stands just outside the South Gate of Nanking. What the lady
implies is that she will go to "the ends of the earth" to meet her
returning husband.
SORROW DURING A CLEAR AUTUMN
_Note 48. _
_I climb the hills of Chiu I. _
The Chiu I, or "Nine Peaks," lie to the South of the Tung T'ing Lake
(see map) into which the three divisions of the Hsiang River debouch
after having united.
_Note 49. _
_I go by the "Bird's Path. "_
A term very often used for steep mountain paths.
_Note 50. _
_I think much of fishing for a leviathan from the Island of the Cold
Sea. _
The legend referred to at the end of the poem is as follows: A group of
five islands in the Pi Hai, the Jade-grey Sea, were inhabited by the
Immortals, who found themselves very uncomfortable as these islands,
instead of standing firmly, rose and fell in the most disconcerting
manner. The Immortals therefore applied to the Jade Emperor for
assistance, and he commanded fifteen leviathans, three to each island,
to raise their heads and support the islands, thus keeping them from
rocking. All was well until a man from the Elder Dragon Country appeared
and with one cast of his line caught six of the monsters, the result
being that two of the islands toppled over and sank in the sea. The
three which remain are known as the "Three Hills of the Immortals. " This
tale has become proverbial, and people who are disappointed in their
ambition say "I have no rod with which to catch a leviathan. "
POIGNANT GRIEF DURING A SUNNY SPRING
_Note 51. _
_I feel as one feels listening to the sound of the waters of the
Dragon Mound in Ch'in. _
(See Note 9. )
_Note 52. _
_The gibbons wailing by the Serpent River. _
(See Note 15. )
_Note 53. _
_I feel as the "Shining One" felt when she passed the Jade Frontier,
As the exile of Ch'u in the Maple Forest. _
Two allusions which suggest homesickness. The "Shining One" is Chao
Chün. (See Note 79. ) The exile of Ch'u is Ch'ü Yüan, the famous
statesman. (See Note 62. )
TWO POEMS WRITTEN TO TS'UI (THE OFFICIAL)
_Note 54. _
In both these poems, Ts'ui is compared to T'ao Yüan-ming, author of
"Once More Fields and Gardens," published in this volume. T'ao is the
ideal of the educated scholar, who prefers a life in the fields to any
official post. Many stories are told of him. He planted five willows in
front of his house, and is therefore often spoken of as the "Teacher of
the Five Willows. " He was so fond of music that he declared he could
imagine the sweet sounds of the _ch'in_, and often carried about a
stringless instrument over which he moved his hands. The _ch'in_, or
table-lute, is fully described in Note 114.
WIND-BOUND AT THE NEW FOREST REACH
_Note 55. _
_To-day, at dawn, see the willows beyond the White Gate. _
The White Gate is the Western Gate. The points of the compass are
governed by colours, elements, mythological beasts, and seasons, thus:
East: Green. Wood. The Blue-green Dragon. Spring.
South: Red. Fire. The Vermilion Bird. Summer. West: White. Metal. The
White Tiger. Autumn. North: Black. Water. The Black Warrior. Winter.
Centre: Yellow. Earth.
DRINKING ALONE IN THE MOONLIGHT
_Note 56. _
_But we will keep our appointment by the far-off Cloudy River. _
The Cloudy River is the Chinese name for the Milky Way.
_Note 57. _
_There would be no Wine Star in Heaven. _
The Wine Star is a constellation composed of three stars, to the North
of the Dipper.
_Note 58. _
_There should be no Wine Springs on Earth. _
The Wine Springs lie, one in Kansu, and one in Shansi. (See map. ) The
water of the one in Kansu is supposed to taste like wine, that of the
one in Shansi is used in the making of wine.
RIVER CHANT
_Note 59. _
_Jade flageolets and pipes of gold. _
The Chinese flageolet is a tube measuring a little more than a foot in
length. It has five holes above, one below, and one at the end through
which it is played. They are now made of bamboo, but formerly were made
of copper, jadestone, or marble, as such materials were considered less
liable to be affected by the weather.
_Note 60. _
_The Immortal waited,
Then mounted and rode the yellow crane. _
Tou Tzŭ-an, who had attained Immortality by living a life of
contemplation, was transported to the Taoist Paradise by a crane so old
that it had turned yellow.
_Note 61. _
_Rather would he be followed by the white gulls. _
This line refers to a story from a book treating of Taoist subjects long
supposed to have been written by a philosopher called Lieh Tzŭ, but this
is now known to have been a Second Century forgery. A translation of the
story reads: "The man who lived by the sea loved the sea-gulls. Every
day, as the sun rose above the horizon, the birds from the sea assembled
in hundreds and flew about. His father said: 'I hear the sea-gulls
follow you and fly round you. Catch some in your hands and bring them to
me that I too may enjoy them. ' The next day the birds from the sea all
performed the posturing dance in the air, but did not descend. "
_Note 62. _
_The_ tzŭ _and_ fu _of Ch'ü P'ing hang suspended like the sun and
moon. _
The _tzŭ_ and _fu_ are two irregular forms of verse, they are referred
to in the Introduction in the part dealing with versification. Ch'ü
P'ing is another name for Ch'ü Yüan, a famous poet and statesman who
lived 332-295 B. C. (See Introduction. )
_Note 63. _
_I could move the Five Peaks. _
The sacred mountains of the "four quarters" and the nadir (or the four
points of the compass and the centre of the earth). They are the T'ai
Shan in the East, the Hua Shan in the West, the Hêng Shan in the North,
the Hêng Shan in the South, and the Sung Shan in the centre.
SEPARATED BY IMPERIAL SUMMONS
_Note 64. _
_The Emperor commands; three times the summons. He who left has not
yet returned. _
The official has not responded quickly to the summons from the capital,
so the messenger has been obliged to come three times. Upon the third
occasion, the official realizes that the matter is urgent and prepares
to depart the next day at sunrise, before the messenger can have
reached the Palace on his return journey.
_Note 65.
_
_Our thoughts will be with each other. I must ascend the
Looking-for-Husband Hill. _
(See Note 45. )
_Note 66. _
_You must not imitate Su Ch'in's wife and not leave your loom. _
Su Ch'in, who lived in the Fourth Century B. C. , was away from home many
years; when he returned, his wife took no notice whatever, and did not
even leave the loom at which she sat weaving cloth.
A WOMAN SINGS TO THE AIR: "SITTING AT NIGHT"
_Note 67. _
_I sit, sit in the North Hall. _
The "North Hall" is a term for the Women's Apartments, which always lie
farthest from the Great Gate placed in the South wall of the house. (See
Plan of House. )
_Note 68. _
_Then, though my Lord sang ten thousand verses which should cause
even the dust on the beams to fly, to me it would be nothing. _
It is said that when Yü Kung, a man of the State of Lu who lived during
the Han Dynasty, sang, the sounds were so exquisite that even the dust
on the beams flew. "To cause the dust on the beams to fly" has therefore
become a current saying.
THE PALACE WOMAN AND THE SOLDIERS' COOK
_Note 69. _
_Once the Unworthy One was a maiden of the Ts'ung Terrace. _
The Ts'ung Terrace referred to by the sad lady who, in the dispersal of
the Palace women (see Introduction), had fallen to such a low degree,
stood in the Palace of King Chao, who lived at the time of the "Spring
and Autumn Annals," many centuries before our era.
A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN ENCOUNTERED ON A FIELD-PATH
_Note 70. _
_Down comes the riding-whip, straight down--it strikes the Five
Cloud Cart. _
The Immortals used Five Coloured Clouds to ride upon, therefore the
term, "Five Cloud Cart," has become a complimentary expression for a
cart or carriage in which a beautiful young woman is travelling.
HEARING A BAMBOO FLUTE IN THE CITY OF LO YANG
_Note 71. _
_I hear "The Snapped Willow. "_
An allusion to the old song suggesting homesickness. (See Note 2. )
THE RETREAT OF HSIEH KUNG
_Note 72. _ Hsieh Kung is the honorary title of the poet, Hsieh T'iao,
who lived in the Fifth Century A. D. Li T'ai-po, who greatly admired him,
constantly quoted his poems, and expressed a wish to be buried on the
Spring-green Mountain where Hsieh Kung had lived. Some accounts say that
he was first buried elsewhere, but that afterwards his body was removed
and put where he desired.
A TRAVELLER COMES TO THE OLD TERRACE OF SU
_Note 73. _
_The old Imperial Park--the ruined Terrace--the young willows. _
Early in the Fifth Century B. C. , Fu Ch'ai, King of Wu, built the Ku Su
Terrace to please Hsi Shin, one of the most famous beauties in history.
It was nearly two miles long, and took three years to build. Its
foundations can still be traced on the hills near Soochow, which was the
capital of Wu.
THE REST-HOUSE ON THE CLEAR WAN RIVER
_Note 74. _
_I love the beauty of the Wan River. _
A little river near Ning Kuo-fu in Anhwei. (See map. )
_Note 75. _
_Really, one cannot help laughing to think that, until now, the
rapid current celebrated by Yen
Has usurped all the fame. _
The philosopher Yen Kuang (_circa_ A. D. 25) is better known as Yen
Tzŭ-ling. The river in which he loved to fish was the Hsin An.
ANSWER TO AN AFFECTIONATE INVITATION FROM TS'UI FIFTEEN
_Note 76. _
A party of friends who are in the habit of meeting each other constantly
are called by numbers according to age. The same custom is used to
distinguish members of a family. (See Introduction. )
_Note 77. _
_You have the "bird's foot-print" characters. _
Writing is supposed by the Chinese to have been invented by Ts'ang
Chieh, a minister of the Yellow Emperor (2698-2598 B. C. ) who, having
"observed the shapes of things in the heavens and the forms of things on
earth, also the foot-prints of birds and beasts on the sand and mud,"
suddenly conceived the idea of pictographic writing. It is highly
complimentary to speak of a person's writing as being like the "bird's
foot-prints. "
_Note 78. _
_You suggest that we drink together at the Lute Stream. _
The Ch'in Ch'i T'ai (Table-lute Stream Terrace) was a stone terrace
where a famous player of the table-lute, who is said to have attained
Immortality, lived. The legend is that he took a small dragon in the
form of a carp from the Ch'in stream and kept it for a month, when it
changed its shape into that of a dragon and ascended to Heaven.
THE HONOURABLE LADY CHAO
_Note 79. _
_Moon over the houses of Han, over the site of Ch'in. _
Ch'in was the name of the State which overcame all the others and welded
China into a homogeneous Empire instead of a loose federation. (See
Introduction. ) The lady Chao lived during the Han Dynasty.
Wang Ch'iang, known to posterity as Chao Chün, the
"Brilliant-and-Perfect," lived in the First Century B. C. The daughter of
educated parents, she was brought up in the strictest Confucian
principles; in the words of the Chinese, she "did not speak loudly nor
did she look beyond the doors, indeed, even within the house, she only
walked the path which led to her mother's room. Her ears were closed to
all distracting sounds, therefore her heart and mind were pure like
those of the Immortals. " Her father regarded her as a precious jewel,
and although many suitors presented themselves, he refused to listen to
their proposals, and finally, when she was seventeen, sent her to the
capital as an offering to the Han Emperor Yüan.
Upon arriving at the Palace, the young girl was housed in the inner
rooms, among the innumerable Palace women who lived there in constant
hope of a summons to the Imperial presence. As the Son of Heaven never
went into this part of his Palace, it was customary to catalogue the
inmates and submit their portraits to him, a form of procedure which led
to much bribery of the Court painters. The rigid principles of the
daughter of the Wang clan forbade her to comply with this Palace custom,
and the portrait which appeared in the catalogue was such a travesty of
her exquisite features that it roused no desire in the Imperial breast.
Five or six dreary years passed, and the young girl remained secluded in
the Women's Apartments. Shortly before this time, one of the Hsiung Nu
tribes (see Note 3) had surrendered to the Chinese soldiers, and as a
proof of good faith on both sides had received permission to serve as a
frontier guard. Soon after, the head of the tribe sent to ask that one
of Yüan Ti's ladies be sent him as Queen. The catalogue was consulted,
and the decision fell upon the daughter of Wang as being the one among
the Palace women who had the fewest charms. She was therefore told to
prepare herself for a journey to the desert wastes where she would reign
over a savage Central Asian tribe, a prospect terrifying to one brought
up in strict seclusion among people of refinement.
Custom demanded that, on the point of departure, she should appear
before the Son of Heaven in order to thank her Imperial Master for his
kind thoughtfulness in thus providing for her future, and then be
formally handed over to the envoys. The audience was held in one of the
secondary halls, the Court was assembled, the envoys stood ready, and
the lady entered. At the sight of her unusual beauty, every one was
thunderstruck, even the Emperor could hardly refrain from springing off
the Dragon Throne and speaking to her. But it was too late; there was
nothing to be done. The most beautiful of all the Palace women was
pledged to the Hsiung Nu Khan, the escort which was to convey her over
the Jade Pass waited, and soon the broken-hearted girl set off.
Fury and consternation spread through the Palace; a camel laden with
gold was sent in pursuit; the guilty painter, Mao Yen-shou, was executed
and his immense fortune sent as a consolation to the Wang family; but
all this could not save the young girl from her fate. The Hsiung Nu
ambassador refused to ransom her, and she passed out through the Jade
Barrier to the "Yellow Sand Fields" beyond.
The banished daughter of Han was true to the principles in which she
had been schooled. Instead of committing suicide, as she longed to do,
she submitted to the will of the Five Great Ones--Heaven, Earth, The
Emperor, her Father, and her Mother--and performed her duties as a wife
to the best of her ability in spite of the homesickness from which she
suffered perpetually.
Upon the death of the Khan, she felt that her hour of deliverance had at
last come and that she was at liberty to poison herself. This she did,
and was buried in the desert, but the mound over her grave remained
always green.
Because of her pseudonym, "Brilliant-and-Perfect," she is often referred
to as "Ming Fei," the "Bright Concubine. " Allusions to her story always
suggest homesickness.
THINKING OF THE FRONTIER
_Note 80. _
_I desire to send the "harmonious writings. "_
Letters from wives to husbands are often spoken of as though they
carried sweet sounds.
_Note 81. _
_He who wears the dragon robes delighted in the sweetly-scented wind
of her garments. _
Appointments for the Emperor's use were all spoken of as "dragon"
appointments, and the analysis of the character which means the
Emperor's love, is a dragon under a roof. Ladies' clothes were, and are
to-day, kept in cupboards in which scented woods were burned, therefore
as the long sleeves of their dresses swayed back and forth a sweet
perfume came from them.
_Note 82. _
_How was it possible for the "Flying Swallow" to snatch the Emperor's
love? _
The "Flying Swallow" was a famous concubine. (See Note 30. )
RECITING VERSES BY MOONLIGHT
_Note 83. _
_I suggest that men meditate at length on Hsieh Hsüan Hui. _
A reference, under a pseudonym, to the poet Hsieh T'iao, whose work Li
T'ai-po so much admired. (See Note 72. ) "Hsüan" is applied to the names
of gods to indicate that they deserve praise and worship, and "Hui"
means bright, splendid, or a ray of the sun.
PASSING THE NIGHT AT THE WHITE HERON ISLAND
_Note 84. _
_At dawn, I left the Red Bird Gate. _
An allusion to the bird which rules the South. (See Note 55. )
_Note 85. _
_At sunset, I came to roost on the White Heron Island. _
According to the Chinese commentary, this island lies "in the heart's
centre of the river, three _li_ West of the district of the Golden Mound
(Nanking), and many herons collect there. "
_Note 86. _
_And the longing in my heart is like that for the Green Jasper Tree. _
This tree grows in the Taoist Paradise, supposed to lie in the K'un Lun
Mountains. (See map. ) Those who eat its blossoms become immortal.
ASCENDING THE THREE CHASMS
_Note 87. _
These are the famous chasms of the Yangtze River, between Ichang and
Chungking. Their names are: "The Terrifying Barrier," "The Sorceress
Gorge," and "The Western Sepulchre. " Joined together in one great line
of precipitous cliffs, they are among the extraordinary natural objects
of the world and are most awe-inspiring.
_Note 88. _
_The Serpent River runs terribly fast.
The Serpent River can be suddenly exhausted. _
A reference to the fact that, although the water of the river flows with
terrible speed while the snow waters are coming down, during the Winter
it is very low, and many parts are quite dry. (See Note 46. )
_Note 89. _
_Three dawns shine upon the Yellow Ox.
Three sunsets--and we go so slowly. _
A cliff beneath which are rapids so difficult and dangerous to pass that
the utmost care must be taken in navigating them. Boats ascending this
stretch of the river often take several days to pass a given point. (See
Introduction for a description of the Yangtze River and travel upon it. )
PARTING FROM YANG, A HILL MAN
_Note 90. _
_You are going to pick the fairy grasses
And the shooting purple flower of the_ ch'ang p'u.
"Hill men" is a term applied to those who desire to become worthy of
joining the ranks of the Immortals, and for this reason lead a life of
contemplation among the hills. The fairy grasses and the _ch'ang p'u_
(see table of plants in Introduction) both grow in the Taoist Paradises.
_Note 91. _
_Riding down from the green-blue Heaven on a white dragon. _
The dragon is one of the steeds of the Immortals.
THE SERPENT MOUND
_Note 92. _
_The mercy of the Sainted Lord is far greater than that of Han Wên
Ti.
The Princely One had pity, and did not appoint you to the station of
the Unending Sands. _
The allusion is to an incident which occurred in the Second Century
B. C. when a famous scholar named Chia was sent to Ch'ang Sha, literally
"Unending Sands" (see map), and died there of the damp vapours.
ON THE SUBJECT OF OLD TAI'S WINE-SHOP
_Note 93. _
_Old Tai is gone down to the Yellow Springs. _
The Yellow Springs lie in the nether world, where spirits go after
death.
_Note 94. _
_There is no Li Po on the terrace of Eternal Darkness. _
This world is known as the World of Light, and below it lies the World
of Shades, where the sun never shines.
DRINKING IN THE T'AO PAVILION
_Note 95. _
_The garden pool lies and shines like the magic gall mirror. _
The Magic Gall Mirror was a square of glittering, polished metal
supposed to possess the miraculous power of betraying the thoughts of
all who looked into it, by making the heart and "five viscera" visible.
The ferocious First Emperor used it to examine his numerous Palace
women, and those who, by a palpitating gall, showed lack of faith were
put to death.
_Note 96. _
_The Golden Valley is not much to boast of. _
A beautiful garden built by the rich and eccentric Shih Ch'ung (died
A. D. 300) for his favourite concubine Lü Chu.
A SONG FOR THE HOUR WHEN THE CROWS ROOST
_Note 97. _
_This is the hour when the crows come to roost on the Ku Su Terrace. _
(See Note 73. )
_Note 98. _
_The silver-white arrow-tablet above the gold-coloured brass jar
of the water-clock marks the dripping of much water_.
(See Note 22. )
POEM SENT TO THE OFFICIAL WANG OF HAN YANG
_Note 99. _
_The shrill notes of the bamboo flute reached to Mien and O. _
Mien and O are the ancient names for Hankow and Wuchang.
DRINKING ALONE ON THE ROCK IN THE RIVER OF THE CLEAR STREAM
_Note 100. _
_Perpetually casting my fish-line like Yen Ling. _
Yen Ling is one of the names of the philosopher Yen Kuang. (See Note
75. )
THE REST-HOUSE OF DEEP TROUBLE
_Note 101. _
_At Chin Ling, the tavern where travellers part is called the
Rest-House of Deep Trouble. _
An inn fifteen _li_ South of the district in which Chin Ling (Nanking)
stands.
_Note 102. _
_Like K'ang Lo I climb on board the dull travelling boat. _
K'ang Lo is a pseudonym for the poet Hsieh Ling-yün, who lived in the
Fifth Century A. D.
_Note 103. _
_I hum softly "On the Clear Streams Flies the Night Frost. "_
A line from one of Hsieh Ling-yün's poems.
_Note 104. _
_It is said that, long ago, on the Ox Island Hill, songs were sung
which blended the five colours. _
The "five colours" are blue-green, yellow, carnation, white, and black.
Anything that is perfectly harmonious is spoken of figuratively as being
blended like the five colours.
Rapids flow past the Ox Island Hill on the Yangtze, which is not to be
confused with the Ox Hill at the Yangtze Gorges.
_Note 105. _
_Now do I not equal Hsieh, and the youth of the House of Yüan? _
Yüan Hung lived in the time of the Chin Dynasty. His poems were both
erudite and beautiful, but his extreme poverty forced him to take a
position on a freight-boat plying up and down the Yangtze. One night, as
the vessel lay below the dangerous Ox Rapids waiting for daylight, the
official of the place, a learned man named Hsieh Shang, heard Yüan
Hung's exquisite songs and was so delighted that he insisted upon the
singer's accompanying him to the Official Residence. Here the days and
nights were passed in conversation, and upon Yüan Hung's departure,
Hsieh gave him much silver and gold, and eventually used his influence
to enable the young man to become an official. Since then all men have
heard of Yüan Hung. Li T'ai-po compares his lonely lot to that of the
youth who possessed a faithful friend.
_Note 106.
