No More Learning

_

A very famous song written during the Liang Dynasty (A. D. 502-557).
Allusions to it always suggest homesickness.


THE CLOUDY RIVER

_Note 145. _

There seems to be no doubt that although King Hsüan of Chou (876-781
B. C. ) is not mentioned by name in the poem, which appears in the "Decade
of Tang" division of the "Book of Odes," he is the King referred to.
All the old Chinese commentators agree in ascribing the authorship to a
certain Jêng Shu, an officer of the Court during the reign of that
monarch, who is known to have had a profound admiration for the King.
Opinions differ as to the exact date of the great drought, but the
standard chronology places it in the sixth year of King Hsüan's reign,
821 B. C. This ode illustrates the Chinese conception of kingship
described in the Introduction.

_Note 146. _
_How the Cloudy River glitters. _

The Chinese call the Milky Way the "Cloudy" or "Silver River. " Stars are
peculiarly bright and glittering during a drought.

_Note 147. _
_My stone sceptres and round badges of rank. _

The badges of office were made of nephrite. There are references in both
the "Book of History" and the "Book of Odes" to the fact that, after
certain sacrifices, they were buried in the ground. In this case, the
sacrifices had been performed so often that the supply of these tokens
was exhausted.

_Note 148. _
_I myself have gone from the border altars to the ancestral temples. _

According to Confucius, the sacrifices to Heaven and Earth were
performed at the border altars, and those to the ancestors took place at
the temples especially provided for the purpose.

_Note 149. _
_Hou Chi could do no more. _

Hou Chi is the deity of grain, and from him King Hsüan was supposed to
be descended.

_Note 150. _
_Shang Ti does not look favourably upon us. _

Shang Ti, literally the "Above Emperor," is the supreme ruler of the
universe. Earthly Emperors receive the decree which empowers them to
rule from him.

_Note 151. _
_Why should I not be terrified
Since all the ancestral sacrifices will be ended? _

To the Chinese, this is the greatest calamity that can be conceived,
since without these sacrifices the ancestral spirits would suffer
greatly, and might visit their wrath upon their descendants.

_Note 152. _
_Drought, the Demon of Drought, has caused these ravages. _

The "Book of Spirits and Prodigies" states that in the Southern regions
there is a hairy man, two or three cubits in height, with eyes in the
top of his head and the upper part of his body bare. His name is Po. He
runs with the speed of the wind, and in whatever part of the country he
appears a great drought ensues.

_Note 153. _
_I offered the yearly sacrifices for full crops in good time. _

It was the custom for the King to pray and make offerings to Shang Ti
during the first Spring month (February), in order to propitiate this
chief of the Chinese pantheon and ensure good harvests from the grain
then being sown. During the first Winter month (November), other prayers
and sacrifices were offered to the "Honoured Ones of Heaven" (the sun,
moon, and stars) for a blessing on the year to follow.

_Note 154. _
_I neglected not one of the Spirits of the Four Quarters of the
Earth. _

Sacrifices of thanksgiving to the "Spirits of the Four Earth Quarters"
were offered at the end of the harvest season.


SONG OF GRIEF

_Note 155. _

Pan Chieh-yü, the talented and upright concubine of the Han Emperor,
Ch'êng, is one of the ladies most often referred to in literature. She
was supplanted by the beautiful, but unscrupulous, "Flying Swallow," who
accused her to the Emperor of denouncing him to the _kuei_ and the
_shên_. (See table of supernatural beings in Introduction. ) The Emperor,
therefore, sent for Pan Chieh-yü who, kneeling before him, answered him
as follows: "The Unworthy One of the Emperor has heard that he who
cultivates virtue still has not attained happiness or favour. If this be
so, for him who does evil what hope is there? Supposing that the demons
and spirits are aware of this world's affairs, they could not endure
that one who was not faithful to the Emperor should utter the secret
thoughts hidden in the darkness of his heart. If they are not conscious
of this world's affairs, of what use would the uttering of those secret
thoughts be? " Then, rising, she left the Imperial presence, and
immediately obtained permission to withdraw from the Palace. Not long
after, she sent the Emperor "A Song of Grief," and ever since then the
term, "Autumn Fan," has been used to suggest a deserted wife.


LETTER OF THANKS FOR PRECIOUS PEARLS

_Note 156. _

One of the ladies swept aside by Yang Kuei-fei (see Note 30) was the
lovely Chiang Ts'ai-p'in, known as the "Plum-blossom" concubine. As she
liked to differ from other people, she painted her eyebrows in the shape
of wide cassia-leaves instead of the thin-lined willow-leaf, or
"moth-antennæ," the form so much used. Soon after her departure from the
Palace, some pearls were received as tribute, and the Emperor, who still
had a lingering regard for "Plum-blossom," sent them to her in secret.
She refused the pearls, and returned them to the Emperor with this poem.


SONGS OF THE COURTESANS

_Note 157. _
_I gaze far--far--for the Seven Scents Chariot. _

The "Seven Scents Chariot" was a kind of carriage used in old days by
officials, and only those above the sixth rank might hang curtains upon
it. It was open on four sides, but covered with a roof. The hubs of the
wheels were carved. Ai Ai implies that the person she is waiting for is
very grand indeed.


THE GREAT HO RIVER

_Note 158. _

This song, which was probably written about 600 B. C. , has been
elucidated by succeeding generations of Chinese commentators in the
following tale.

The lady was a daughter of the Lord of Wei, and the divorced wife of the
Lord of Sung. On the death of her husband, her son succeeded to his
father's position as feudal chief of Sung. Because of her divorce, the
unhappy woman, who was deeply attached to her son, was forbidden to
enter Sung, where he lived.


AN EVENING MEETING

_Note 159. _
_The lamp-flower falls. _

An old-fashioned Chinese lamp was simply a vessel in which a vegetable
wick floated in oil. If the oil were very pure, the wick burned evenly,
leaving no charred end; but if the oil were impure, the wick turned
red-hot and formed a glowing tip called the "lamp-flower. " Its
appearance was looked upon as the happy omen which foretold a lover's
speedy return.

_Note 160. _
_But what is the rain of the Sorceress Gorge. _

The Sorceress Gorge (see Note 87) is often referred to in a figurative
sense, as it is in this poem. The allusion is to the story of a certain
prince who dreamed that a fairy, calling herself the Lady of the
Sorceress Mountain, came and passed the night with him. On leaving in
the morning, she told him that it was she who ruled over the clouds and
rain, which would ever after be symbols of their love. Since then, the
expression "clouds and rain" has become a euphemism for the relation of
the sexes.


CALLIGRAPHY

_Note 161. _
_The writing of Li Po-hai. _

Li Yung (A. D. 678-747) is often called "Po Hai" in reference to a place
where he held office. He was a person who displayed astounding knowledge
at a very early age, and rose to be very powerful. When he was nearly
seventy, he was overthrown by the machinations of his enemies and put to
death. He wrote many inscriptions and was noted for his beautiful,
spirited calligraphy.

_Note 162. _
_The writing of Chia, the official. _

Chia K'uei (A. D. 30-101) was known as the "Universal Scholar. " He was an
eminent teacher, and many of his pupils came from great distances. As
the payment he received was in grain, he was said to "till with his
tongue," which phrase has now become a current expression for earning
one's living as a teacher. Toward the end of his life, he was appointed
Imperial historiographer. He was also a noted calligraphist. (See Note
77. )


ONE GOES A JOURNEY

_Note 163. _
_Are many sweet-olive trees. _

The _olea fragrans_, or sweet-olive, is employed in a metaphorical sense
to denote literary honours. Scholars who have successfully passed their
examinations are said to have gathered its branches.


ON THE CLASSIC OF THE HILLS AND SEA

_Note 164. _
_Because the Yellow Emperor considers them of importance. _

The Yellow Emperor is one of the five mythical sovereigns who ruled
_circa_ 2697 B. C. and is supposed to have reigned a hundred years.


THE SOLITARY TRAVELLER

_Note 165. _
_He has attended an Imperial audience at the Twelve Towers. _

The "Twelve Towers" was a palace built by Ming Huang (see Note 30) for
the use of his ladies. It was an attempted imitation of a building
supposed to have been erected by the Yellow Emperor (see Note 164) for
the use of the Immortals. By his reference to it, one knows that the
traveller has been to Court and is returning disappointed.


SPRING. AUTUMN. WINTER

_Note 166. _
_It makes me think
Of the Peach-Blossom Fountain. _

An allusion to a well-known allegory, "The Peach-Blossom Fountain," by
T'ao Yüan-ming. (See Note 142. ) It tells how a fisherman, who was lost,
found himself in a beautiful country where the people all wore strange
clothes of very old-fashioned cut. On coming home, he told many stories
about this enchanting land, but it could never be found again. The gods
had permitted the fisherman to return for a short time to the
"peach-blossom" days of his youth, although he could never remember the
road he had taken, nor even point out the direction in which it lay.

[Illustration: PLAN OF A TYPICAL CHINESE HOUSE OF THE BETTER CLASS]


KEY TO PLAN OF A TYPICAL CHINESE HOUSE OF THE BETTER CLASS

Shaded Sections--Buildings.
White Sections--Courtyards.

The house faces South.
_No. 1. _ _Chao Pi. _ Spirit Wall. Built to protect the main
entrance from the malign influence of evil
spirits: these move most easily in a
straight line and find difficulty in
turning corners, therefore a wall before
the Great Gate is an effective defence.

_No. 2. _ _Ta Mên. _ Great Gate.

_No. 3. _ _Mên Fang. _ Gate-keeper's Room.

_No. 4. _ _Ting Tzŭ Lang. _ Covered passage leading from the Reception
Hall to the Great Gate and opening on the
street.

_No. 5. _ _Lang. _ Covered passage-way.

_No. 6. _ _T'ing. _ Reception Hall.

_No. 7. _ _Lang. _ Covered passage-way.

_No. 8. _ _T'ing. _ Inner Reception Hall.

_No. 9. _ _Ch'ih. _ A stone-paved courtyard. It has no roof
and is raised in the centre. On great
occasions, such as weddings, birthdays,
and so on, it can be roofed and floored,
thus being made a part of the house.
Trees and flowers are not planted in this
court, but are set about in pots.

_No. 10. _ _T'ing. _ A courtyard. In this second courtyard, to
which steps lead down, trees and flowers
are planted, making of it an inner garden.

_No. 11. _ _Tso Ma Loa. _ Running Horse Two-Story Apartments.
This is the _Kuei_ so often spoken of, the
Women's Apartments. It is a building in
which the rooms surround a courtyard,
and are connected by verandahs running
round the court upstairs and down. The
space in the centre is known as _T'ien
Ching_ or Heaven's Well. There are
eighteen rooms in the upper story, and
eighteen in the lower. The wife uses the
front rooms; the daughters, the back.

_No. 12. _ _Hou T'ing. _ Back Court. It is bounded by a "flower
wall," or brick trellis, through which
flowers can twine, and is used by the
inmates of the _Kuei_ as a garden.

_No. 13. _ _Nü Hsia Fang. _ Women's Lower House. A house for the
women servants. As in the house for men
servants, No. 18, the floor is actually on a
lower level than those of the master's
apartments.

_No. 14. _ _Fo Lou. _ Buddhist Two-Story Apartments. In the
upper story, images of Buddhas, and of
Kuan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy, are kept.
As a rule, it is locked, and only people who
have washed carefully and put on clean
clothes may enter.

_No. 15. _ _Tsê Shih. _ Side Inner Apartment. In this house, poor
relations may live. The concubines who
do not enter the _Kuei_ except on invitation
also live here. Guests do not go further
into the house than to the wall bounding
this building on the South.

_No. 16. _ _Tung Hua T'ing. _ Eastern Flower Hall.

_No. 17. _ _Tui T'ing. _ Opposite Hall. This and No. 16 are used
for theatrical entertainments. The guests
are seated in No. 16, facing South, and the
stage faces North in No. 17. A cloth
covering is stretched over the courtyard,
and a wall divides the two _T'ing_
from the rest of the house.

_No. 18. _ _Nan Hsia Fang. _ Men's Lower House. A house for men
servants divided as far as possible from the
quarters of the women servants, also placed
conveniently near the Great Gate where
guests enter.

_No. 19. _ _Ta Shu Fang. _ Great Book Room. This room is used as a
library and study, and in it the teacher
instructs the sons of the family.

_No. 20. _ _Hsi Hua T'ing. _ Western Flower Hall. Here guests are
entertained at meals. Flower gardens are
placed on either side, and also walls which
prevent either the study or the women's
rooms from being seen from it.

_No. 21. _ _Tsê Shih. _ Side Inner Apartment. A building used by
the ladies of the house as a study or
boudoir, where they embroider, paint, or
write. The light is very good, whereas in
the _Kuei_, on account of most of the
windows opening on the court ("Heaven's
Well"), it is apt to be poor.

_No. 22. _ _Ch'u Fang. _ Kitchen. This is placed conveniently near
to No. 20, where the men of the family
dine, and No. 21, the dining-room of the
ladies.

_No. 23. _ _Ch'ü Lang. _ Passage-of-Many-Turnings. The superstitious
belief in regard to the difficulty
experienced by evil spirits in going round
sharp corners governs the planning of this
strangely shaped passage.

_No. 24. _ _Shu Chai. _ "Books Reverenced. " The study, or students'
room.

_No. 25. _ _Hsien. _ A Side-room or Pavilion. This is a long,
low, outdoor passage, where guests sit and
amuse themselves.

_No. 26. _ _Ma Fang. _ Stable. The stable is placed as far as
possible from the house. The horses,
however, are kept saddled near the Great
Gate for a large part of the day, in order
to be in readiness should they be needed.

_No. 27. _ _Hua Yüan. _ Flower Garden. The gardens are arranged
with hills, water, and rockeries, to look as
much like natural scenes as possible.

_No. 28. _ _Ssŭ So. _ Privy.




TABLE OF CHINESE HISTORICAL PERIODS

Five Legendary Emperors. 2852-2205 B. C.
Hsia Dynasty. 2205-1766 B. C.
Shang Dynasty. 1766-1122 B. C.
Chou Dynasty. 1122-255 B. C.
Ch'in Dynasty. 255-206 B. C.
Han Dynasty. 206 B. C. -A. D. 25
Eastern Han Dynasty. A. D. 25-221
Later Han Dynasty. A. D. 221-264
Chin Dynasty. A. D. 264-420
Period of Unrest, Six Short-lived Dynasties. A. D. 420-618
T'ang Dynasty. A. D. 618-906
The Five Dynasties: A. D. 906-960
Posterior Liang.
Posterior T'ang.
Posterior Chin.
Posterior Han.
Posterior Chou.
Sung Dynasty. A. D. 960-1277
Yüan Dynasty. A. D. 1277-1368
Ming Dynasty. A. D. 1368-1644
Ch'ing Dynasty. A. D. 1644-1912
Min Kuo (Republic of China). A. D. 1912




The Riverside Press CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS U. S. A




The following pages contain advertisements of books by the same author




Books by AMY LOWELL

PUBLISHED BY

HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY

_Poetry_

LEGENDS

PICTURES OF THE FLOATING WORLD

CAN GRANDE'S CASTLE

MEN, WOMEN AND GHOSTS

SWORD BLADES AND POPPY SEED

A DOME OF MANY-COLOURED GLASS

(IN COLLABORATION WITH FLORENCE AYSCOUGH) FIR-FLOWER TABLETS: POEMS
TRANSLATED FROM THE CHINESE

_Prose_

TENDENCIES IN MODERN AMERICAN POETRY

SIX FRENCH POETS: STUDIES IN CONTEMPORARY LITERATURE




Can Grande's Castle
BY AMY LOWELL
_Fourth edition_


"The poems In 'Can Grande's Castle' are only four in number, but two of
them . . . touch magnificence. 'The Bronze Horses' has a larger sweep than
Miss Lowell has ever attempted; she achieves here a sense of magnitude
and time that is amazing. . . . Not in all contemporary poetry has the
quality of balance and return been so beautifully illustrated. "--LOUIS
UNTERMEYER in _The New Era in American Poetry_.

"'Can Grande's Castle' challenges, through its vividness and contagious
zest in life and color, an unreluctant admiration . . . its rare union of
vigor and deftness, precision and flexibility, imaginative grasp and
clarity of detail. "--PROFESSOR JOHN LIVINGSTON LOWES in _Convention and
Revolt in Poetry_.

"'Sea-Blue and Blood-Red' and 'Guns as Keys: and the Great Gate Swings'
. . . are such a widening of barriers they bring into literature an
element imperceptible in poetry before . . . the epic of modernity
concentrated into thirty pages. . . . Not since the Elizabethans has such a
mastery of words been reached in English . . . one had never surmised such
enchantment could have been achieved with words. "--W. BRYHER in _The Art
of Amy Lowell. A Critical Appreciation_. London.

"The essential element of Miss Lowell's poetry is vividness, vividness
and a power to concentrate into a few pages the spirit of an age. She
indicates perfectly the slightest sense of atmosphere in a period or a
city. . . . But the spirit of these poems is not the fashioning of
pictures, however brilliant, of the past; it is the re-creation of epic
moments of history made real as this present through her own
individuality and vision. "--_The London Nation. _

"We have come to it--once Poe was the living and commanding poet, whose
things were waited for. . . . Now we watch and wait for Amy Lowell's poems.
Success justifies her work. . . . Each separate poem in 'Can Grande's
Castle' is a real and true poem of remarkable power--a work of
imagination, a moving and beautiful thing. "--JOSEPH E. CHAMBERLAIN in
_The Boston Transcript_.

"'Can Grande's Castle' is, in the opinion of the present reviewer, not
only the best book which Miss Lowell has so far written, but a great
book per se. . . . It is a frank and revealing book. It deals with
fundamentals. . . .