A Hundred-Year Collection of Poems and Scenarios Analyzed

Author: Mei Zhencai / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-12-27
Features: Passing through the Humen Gate, sails billow with roaring across the vast ocean, tiger's spirit surges, sword's edge blooms. Ten thousand miles of water floats the shadows of heaven and earth, one gate of mountains splits the roar of sea waves. Future winds and rains stir banners, ambitions to rise, dragon and fish drums alarm. Holding the hard-to-form strategic stronghold, who dares to whip stones into a long Great Wall?
Author Introduction: Pan Feisheng (1858—1934), styled Lanshi, pseudonym Jiashu, was from Guangdong, Panyu. Born into a renowned family, his ancestors were celebrated for poetry and ci in Guangdong. Pan inherited his family's literary tradition, excelling in poetry and calligraphy. Young and talented, his fame spread swiftly. At thirty, he was invited to teach Chinese literature at the Eastern Studies Institute of Berlin University in Germany, serving three years, during which he wrote many works on his European travels. Historically known as Pan's European lectures and overseas travels, he pioneered China's overseas academic and literary activities.
After returning, he worked as a chief editor for the Huazi Daily and Yuebao in Hong Kong, critiquing politics with significant influence. For over a decade in Hong Kong, he interacted closely with Kang Youwei, Liang Qichao, Huang Zunxian, Zheng Guanying, and Qiu Fengjia, the prominent figures of the "Poetry Revolution." Their bonds were deep and sincere. After the 1911 Revolution, he resided long-term in Shanghai. Pan's poetry, prose, and essays were celebrated in his lifetime, leaving behind the Complete Works of Shuojian Hall. He was hailed as the "Master of the Xianghai Poetry Circle." His poetic style was renowned for its "bold vigor." Pan was a key member of the Nanshe literary society. The swordsmen Pan Feisheng (Jianshi), Yu Chu (Jianhua), Fu Tuniang (Junjian), and Gao Tianmei (Dunjian) all bore the character "jian" in their titles, earning them the name "Four Swords of Nanshe."
Poetic Notes: Pan Feisheng lived in a tragic era of national turmoil, with the "Golden Cup" shattered and the land in disarray. Facing internal strife and external threats, the poet felt powerless to contribute to the nation and struggled to express his ambitions. Thus, he channeled his concerns and sorrow into poetry. His works often reflect the sorrow of "the land remains, but people have changed," a poignant sense of loss.
Humen Gate, located in the southwest of Dongguan, Guangdong, at the mouth of the Pearl River, was where Lin Zexu conducted the Opium Destruction. During the Opium War, the forts at Humen repeatedly repelled British invaders, but the heroic generals Chen Liansheng, Guan Tianpei, and countless soldiers and civilians sacrificed their lives there. Passionate about patriotism, Pan Feisheng, passing through Humen, reflected on the past and wrote this poem. The poet vividly depicts the scene at Humen: high sails billowing, the sea wind roaring like a mountain splitting. He then emphasizes that with strict defense at this fortress, the nation could build an impregnable Great Wall stretching ten thousand miles.
The line "who dares to whip stones into a long Great Wall?" refers to the patriotic soldiers and civilians of the Chinese nation. Pan often incorporated swords into his poetry, using them to express emotions, as seen in the poem's "tiger's spirit surges, sword's edge blooms." Thus, Qiu Fengjia praised Pan, saying, "he wove sword energy into his poetry," and declared, "his pen power transcends the east and west."
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