SONGS OF THE MARCHES
Note 1.
It is the Fifth Month,But still the Heaven-high hillsShine with snow.
The Fifth Month corresponds to June. (See Introduction.) The Heaven-high hills are the T'ien Shan Mountains, which run across the Northern part of Central Asia and in places attain a height of 20,000 feet. (See map.)
Note 2.
Playing "The Snapped Willow."
The name of an old song suggesting homesickness; it is translated in this volume. It was written during the Liang Dynasty (A.D.502-557). References to it are very common in Chinese poetry.
Note 3.
So that they may be able in an instant to rush upon the Barbarians.
The Chinese regarded the tribes of Central Asia, known by the generic name of Hsiung Nu, as Barbarians, and often spoke of them as such. It was during the reign of Shih Huang Ti (221-206B.C.) that these tribes first seriously threatened China, and it was to resist their incursions that the Great Wall was built. They were a nomadic people, moving from place to place in search of fresh pasture for their herds. They were famous for their horsemanship and always fought on horseback.
Note 4.
And the portrait of Ho P'iao YaoHangs magnificently in the Lin Pavilion.
Ho P'iao Yao was a famous leader whose surname wasHo. He was given the pseudonym of P'iao Yao, meaning "to whirl with great speed to the extreme limit," because of his energy in fighting. His lust for war was so terrible that the soldiers under him always expected to be killed. After his death, the Emperor Wu of Han erected a tomb in his honour. It was covered with blocks of stone in order that it might resemble the Ch'i Lien Mountains, where Ho P'iao Yao's most successful battles had been fought.
The Lin Pavilion was a Hall where the portraits of distinguished men were hung.
Note 5.
The Heavenly soldiers arise.
The Chinese soldiers were called the "Heavenly Soldiers" because they fought for the Emperor, who was the Son of Heaven.
Note 6.
Divides the tiger tally.
A disk broken in half, worn as a proof of identity and authority. The General was given one half, the Emperor kept the other.
Note 7.
The Jade Pass has not yet been forced.
In order to reach the Central Asian battle-fields, the soldiers were obliged to go out through the Jade Pass, or Barrier, which lay in the curious bottle-neck of land between the mountain ranges which occupy the centre of the continent. (See map.)
Note 8.
They seized the snow of the Inland Sea.
The Inland, or Green Sea, is the Chinese name for the Kokonor Lake lying West of the Kansu border. (See map.)
Note 9.
They lay on the sand at the top of the Dragon Mound.
The Dragon Mound is a high ridge of land on the Western border of Shensi, now comprising part of the Easternboundary of Kansu. The native accounts say that the road encircles the mountains nine times, and that it takes seven days to make the ascent. "Its height is not known. From its summit, one can see five hundredli. To the East, lie the homes of men; to the West, wild wastes. The sound of a stone thrown over the precipice is heard for severalli."
Note 10.
All this they bore that the Moon Clan.
Name of one of the Hsiung Nu tribes. It was this tribe, known to Europeans under name of Huns, who overran Europe in the Fifth Century.
THE PERILS OF THE SHU ROAD
Note 11.
During the reign of the T'ang Emperor, Hsüan Tsung (A.D.712-756), better known as Ming Huang, a rebellion broke out under An Lu-shan, an official who had for many years enjoyed the Emperor's supreme favour. Opinions among the advisers to the throne differed as to whether or not the Emperor had better fly from his capital and take refuge in the province of Szechwan, the ancient Shu. Li T'ai-po strongly disapproved of the step, but as he was no longer in office could only express his opinion under the guise of a poem. This poem, which the Chinese read in a metaphorical sense, describes the actual perils of the road leading across the Mountains of the Two-Edged Sword, the only thoroughfare into Szechwan. Li T'ai-po's counsel did not prevail, however, and the Emperor did actually flee, but not until after the poem was written.
Note 12.
No greater undertaking than this has been since Ts'an Ts'ung and Yü Fu ruled the land.
These were early Rulers. Ts'an Ts'ung was the firstKing of Shu, the modern Szechwan. He was supposed to be a descendant of the semi-legendary Yellow Emperor.
Note 13.
But the earth of the mountain fell and overwhelmed the Heroes so that they perished.
An historical allusion to five strong men sent by the King of Shu to obtain the daughters of the King of Ch'in.
Note 14.
Above, the soaring tips of the high mountains hold back the six dragons of the sun.
The sun is supposed to drive round the Heavens once every day in a chariot drawn by six dragons and driven by a charioteer named Hsi Ho.
Note 15.
The gibbons climb and climb.
Gibbons, which are very common in this part of China, are a small species of tailless ape, thoroughly arboreal in their habits. They make the woods sound with unearthly cries at night, and are unsurpassed in agility and so swift in movement as to be able to catch flying birds with their paws.
Note 16.
This is what the Two-Edged Sword Mountains are like!
In this range, the mountains are so high, the cliffs so precipitous, and the passes so few, that it was almost impossible to devise a means of crossing them. The Chinese, however, have invented an ingenious kind of pathway called a "terraced" or "flying" road. Holes are cut in the face of the cliffs, and wooden piles are mortised into them at an angle. Tree trunks are then laid across the space between the tops of the piles and the cliff wall, making a corduroy road, the whole being finally covered with earth. These roads are so solidly built that not only people, but horses and even small carts, can pass over them. As there are no railings, however, travel upon them is always fraught with more or less danger.
LOOKING AT THE MOON AFTER RAIN
Note 17.
Half of the moon-toad is already up.
In Chinese mythology, thech'an, a three-legged toad, lives in the moon and is supposed to swallow it during an eclipse. The toad is very long-lived and grows horns at the age of three thousand years. It was originally a woman named Ch'ang O, who stole the drug of Immortality and fled to the moon to escape her husband's wrath. The moon is often referred to asch'an, as in the poem.
Note 18.
The glimmer of it is like smooth hoar-frost spreading over ten thousandli.
Aliis a Chinese land measurement, equal to about one third of a mile.
THE LONELY WIFE
Note 19.
There is only the moon, shining through the clouds of a hard, jade-green sky.
The term "jade," in Chinese literature, includes both the jadeites and nephrites. These semi-transparent stones are found in a great variety of colours. There are black jades; pure white jades, described by the Chinese as "mutton fat"; jades with brown and red veins; yellow jades tinged with green; grey jades with white or brown lines running through them; and, most usual of all, green jades, of which there are an infinite number of shades.
These green jades vary from the dark, opaque moss-green, very much like the New Zealand "green-stone," to the jewel jade called by the Chinesefei ts'ui, or "kingfisher feather," which, in perfect examples, is the brilliant green of an emerald. As a result of this range ofcolouring, the Chinese use the term "jade" to describe the tints seen in Nature. The colours of the sky, the hills, the sea, can all be found in the jades, which are considered by the Chinese as the most desirable of precious stones. In addition to its employment in actual comparison, the word "jade" is very often used in a figurative sense to denote anything especially desirable.
Note 20.
Beneath the quilt of the Fire-Bird, on the bed of the Silver-Crested Love-Pheasant.
The Fire-Bird is theLuan, and the Love-Pheasant theFêng Huang; both are fully described in the table of mythical animals in the Introduction.
Note 21.
As the tears of your so Unworthy One escape and continue constantly to flow.
The term "Unworthy One" is constantly used by wives and concubines in speaking of themselves to their husbands or to the men they love.
Note 22.
As I toss on my pillow, I hear the cold, nostalgic sound of the water-clock.
The clepsydra, or water-clock, has been used by the Chinese for many centuries, one can still be seen in the North Worshipping Tower in Canton, and another in the "Forbidden" portion of the Peking Palace, where the dethroned Manchu Emperor lives. The following account of the one in Canton is taken from the "Chinese Repository," Volume XX, Page 430: "The clepsydra is called the 'copper-jar water-dropper.' There are four covered jars standing on a brickwork stairway, the top of each of which is level with the bottom of the one above it. The largest measures twenty-three inches high and broad and contains seventy catties or ninety-seven and a half pints of water; the second is twenty-two inches high and twenty-one inches broad; the third,twenty-one inches high and twenty broad; and the lowest, twenty-three inches high and nineteen inches broad. Each is connected with the other by an open trough along which the water trickles. The wooden index in the lowest jar is set every morning and afternoon at five o'clock, by placing the mark on it for these hours even with the cover through which it rises and indicates the time. The water is dipped out and poured back into the top jar when the index shows the completion of the half day, and the water is renewed every quarter."
THE PLEASURES WITHIN THE PALACE
Note 23.
From little, little girls, they have lived in the Golden House.
The "Golden House" is an allusion to a remark made by the Emperor Wu of Han who, when still a boy, exclaimed that if he could marry his lovely cousin A-chiao he would build a golden house for her to live in.
Palaces were often given most picturesque names,and different parts of the precincts were described as being of "jade" or some other precious material, the use of the word "golden" is, of course, in this case, purely figurative.
The organization of the Imperial seraglio, which contained many thousands of women, was most complicated, and the ladies belonged to different classes or ranks.
There was only one Empress, whose title wasHou,and, if the wife of the preceding monarch were still alive, she was calledT'ai Hou, or Greater Empress. These ladies had each their own palace. Next in rank came the principal Imperial concubines or secondary wives calledFei. As a rule, there were two of them, and they had each their palace and household. After them came theP'indescribed as "Imperial concubines of first rank," or maids of honour, who lived together in a large palaceand who, once they had attained this rank, could never be dispersed. (See Note 69.) The ladies of the Court are often spoken of asFei-P'in. Of lower rank than these were the innumerable Palace women calledCh'ieh, concubines or handmaids. The use of the word is not confined to the inmates of the Palace, as ordinary people may havech'ieh. Little girls who were especially pretty, or who showed unusual promise, were often sent to the Palace when quite young, that they might become accustomed to the surroundings while still children. (See Introduction.)
Note 24.
They are lovely, lovely, in the Purple Hall.
The Ruler of Heaven lives in a circumpolar constellation called the Tzŭ Wei, Purple Enclosure; therefore the Palace of his Son, the Ruler of Earth, is called "Purple."
Note 25.
Their only sorrow, that the songs and wu dances are over.
The wu dance is a posturing dance for which special, very elaborately embroidered dresses with long streamers are worn. As the arms move, these scarves float rhythmically in the air.
Note 26.
Changed into the five-coloured clouds and flown away.
The allusion to the five-coloured clouds is to the beautifully variegated clouds, bright with the five colours of happiness, upon which the Immortals ride.
WRITTEN IN THE CHARACTER OF A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN
Note 27.
Bright, bright, the gilded magpie mirror.
Magpies are the birds of happiness. There is an old story of the Gold Magpie which tells that, ages ago, a husband and wife, at parting, divided a round mirror between them, each keeping a half as a guarantee of fidelity. Unhappily, the wife forgot her marriage vows,and to her horror the half circle she had kept turned into a magpie and flew away. Since then, magpies are often carved on mirror backs as reminders and warnings.
Note 28.
I sit at my dressing-stand, and I am like the Green Fire-Bird who, thinking of its mate, died alone.
The Green Fire-Bird is a fabulous creature who is regarded as the embodiment of every grace and beauty. It is the essence of the Fire God, and references to it in stories of love and marriage are frequent. One of the most popular of these tales is that of a King of India who caught a beautiful bird with green plumage of an extraordinary brilliance. He valued it greatly, and had an exquisite gold cage made for it. For three years it lived in captivity, and not a sound came from it in all that time. At last, the King, who was much puzzled at its silence, consulted his wife, saying: "Is the creature dumb?" She replied: "No, but every creature is the same, when it meets one of its own species it will speak." Not knowing how to obtain a mate for the Green Fire-Bird, the King placed a large mirror in its cage. TheLuandanced with joy, uttered strange cries, and then, with all its strength, hurled itself against its own reflection and fell dead.
Note 29.
My tears, like white jade chop-sticks, fall in a single piece.
It was said of the Empress Ch'ên of Wei (403-241B.C.) that her tears fell so fast they formed connected lines like jade chop-sticks.
SONGS TO THE PEONIES
Note 30.
The "Songs to the Peonies" were written on a Spring morning when Ming Huang, accompanied by Yang Kuei-fei, his favourite concubine, and his Court, had gone to see the blooms for which he had a passion. As hesat, admiring the flowers and listening to the singing of the Palace maidens, he suddenly exclaimed: "I am tired of these old songs, call Li Po." The poet was found, but unfortunately in a state best described by the Chinese expression of "great drunk." Supported by attendants on either side of him, he appeared at the pavilion, and while Yang Kuei-fei held his ink-slab, dashed off the "Songs." She then sang them to the air, "Peaceful Brightness," while the Emperor beat time.
The "Songs" compare Yang Kuei-fei to the Immortals and to Li Fu-jên, a famous beauty of whom it was said that "one glance would overthrow a city, a second would overthrow the State." But, unluckily, Li T'ai-po also brought in the name of the "Flying Swallow," a concubine of the Han Emperor Ch'êng, who caused the downfall of the noble Pan Chieh-yü (see Note 155) and is looked upon as a despicable character. Kao Li-shih, the Chief Eunuch of the Court, induced Yang Kuei-fei to take this mention as an insult, and it finally cost Li T'ai-po his place at Court.
In the third "Song," there is an allusion to the Emperor under the figure of the sun. When his presence is removed, the unhappy, jealous flowers feel as if they were growing on the North side of the pavilion.
Yang Kuei-fei, the most famous Imperial concubine in Chinese history, was a young girl of the Yang (White Poplar) family, named Yü Huan, or Jade Armlet; she is generally referred to as Yang Kuei-fei or simply Kuei-fei—Exalted Imperial Concubine.
The Chief Eunuch brought her before the T'ang Emperor, Ming Huang, at a time when the old man was inconsolable from the double deaths of his beloved Empress and his favourite mistress.
The story goes that the Emperor first saw Yang Yü Huan, then fifteen years old, as she was bathing in thepool made of stone, white as jade, in the pleasure palace he had built on the slopes of the Li Mountains. As the young girl left the water, she wrapped herself in a cloak of open-work gauze through which her skin shone with a wonderful light. 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 loveEnjoyed 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.
AboutA.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 famousFêng 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 inA.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 ofhisson, 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 werelined 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 calledtso 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 RiverWhich, 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 thech'in, and often carried about a stringless instrument over which he moved his hands. Thech'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.
Thetzŭandfuof Ch'ü P'ing hang suspended like the sun and moon.
Thetzŭandfuare 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 332-295B.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 todepart 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 CenturyB.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 CenturyA.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 CenturyB.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 YenHas usurped all the fame.
The philosopher Yen Kuang (circaA.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 (2698-2598B.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 CenturyB.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. Shortlybefore 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, threeliWest 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 grassesAnd the shooting purple flower of thech'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 thech'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 theSecond CenturyB.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 (diedA.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 jarof 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 fifteenliSouth 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 CenturyA.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.