Complete Explanation of Three Hundred Poems of Tang Dynasty

Author: (Qing) Hongtang Tuishi / Country:
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-07-01
Features: Tang poetry is a magnificent gem in the treasure trove of Chinese classical literature and one of the most precious literary legacies in the history of human culture. This book selects 300 outstanding Tang poems, each well-known and widely appreciated. The annotations include several parts: the main text, annotations, translations, and appreciations. This book combines the strengths of previous and contemporary annotations to provide readers with a comparative and practical reading that integrates knowledge, information, and appreciation. The Tang Dynasty was an era of poetry, and Tang poetry represents the highest achievement of Chinese classical verse. This book selects 300 outstanding Tang poems, with annotations divided into the main text, annotations, translations, and appreciations. Readers can also skip the annotations and read the translations first; if there are unclear parts in the translation, they can refer to the corresponding annotations; and finally, they can delve into my "reading with the heart" appreciations. This reading method may better achieve the expected effects of the three parts: annotations lay the foundation and broaden knowledge; translations connect the essence and flow; appreciations enhance interest and capture the spirit.
Shu Xiang① Du Fu
Where to seek the Prime Minister's temple?
Outside the Brocade City, cypresses stand dense.
Green grass by the steps reflects spring's hue;
Yellow orioles through the leaves sing in vain.
Three calls to the thatched cottage, world's plans sought;
Two courts opened and aided, old minister's heart sought.
Dying in battle before victory's day,
Leaving heroes weeping through the ages.
[Annotations]
① Shu Xiang: Zhuge Liang, Prime Minister of Shu Han. This poem was written in spring of the first year of Shangyuan (760) when Du Fu first visited Shu and toured the Temple of Zhuge Liang. Zhu Mu's Fangyu Shenglan states: "In Chengdu Prefecture, the Temple of Zhuge Liang is two li northwest of the city. After Zhuge Liang's death, the people privately worshipped along the roads during festivals. When Li Xiong became king, a temple was built inside the Lesser City."
② Brocade City: Yuanhe Gazetteer Volume 32: "The Brocade City is ten li south of (Chengdu) county, the former Brocade City."
Cypresses dense: In front of the Zhuge Liang Temple stands an ancient cypress, said to have been planted by Zhuge Liang. Dense, meaning lush and tall. See Du Fu's Ode to Ancient Cypress.
③ Yellow oriole: The yellow warbler.
④ "Three calls" and "two courts": Zhuge Liang once lived in Nanyang. Liu Bei visited his thatched cottage three times. He planned the strategy for the two states and established the foundation of Shu Han. After Liu Bei's death, Zhuge Liang governed the country, stabilizing the crisis for over twenty years. "Frequent" means repeatedly. "Two courts" refer to Emperor Gaozu Liu Bei and Emperor Shun Liu Shan of Shu Han. "Open and aid" means to establish the foundation and rescue the crisis.
⑤ "Dying in battle": In the twelfth year of Jianxing in Shu Han, Zhuge Liang attacked Wei. He camped at Wuzhangyuan (now southwest of Xian County, Shaanxi) and faced Wei troops across the Wei River, with the outcome undecided. In August of that year, he died in battle.
[Translations]
Where to seek the Prime Minister's temple?
It lies beyond the Brocade City, where cypresses stand dense.
Green grass by the steps reflects spring's hue;
Yellow orioles through the leaves sing in vain.
Do they not know the world's sorrows and grief?
In those days, three calls to the thatched cottage,
The world's plans sought by the first ruler;
You opened the foundation, aided the crisis,
Supporting Liu's father and son, old minister's heart sought.
Dying in battle before victory's day,
Leaving heroes weeping through the ages.
[Appreciation]
The poem begins with a rhetorical question, "Where to seek?" leading the reader far away, introducing the location of the Zhuge Liang Temple. The sparse and flowing words, combined with the phrase "cypresses dense," evoke a sense of solemnity and grandeur.
The second couplet describes the scenery of the temple: the green grass reflects spring's hue, and the yellow orioles sing endlessly. The images of grass by the steps and orioles through the leaves create a sense of vastness and melancholy within the solemnity.
The third couplet rises from sorrow to reflection, discussing Zhuge Liang's life. "Three calls" refers to the kindness of the ruler, while "two courts" speaks of the old minister's dedication. "Old minister's heart" is tied to "the world's plans," showing his desire to repay the ruler's kindness of "three calls." This reflects Du Fu's longing for a political system of a virtuous ruler and loyal ministers, which led him to repeatedly praise Zhuge Liang during his time in Shu. However, after Liu Bei's death, the weak and incompetent ruler Liu Shan turned Zhuge Liang's political dream into a fantasy. Does this not mirror Du Fu's own life—his desire to elevate the ruler to the level of Yao and Shun, to purify customs, yet ending in persecution and exile to the west?
The final couplet laments Zhuge Liang's tragic end, "dying in battle before victory's day," evoking the deep sorrow of heroes throughout the ages. Naturally, Du Fu himself was among these heroes, a failed one.
This poem follows the traditional structure of visiting a temple, with the first half describing the visit and the second half discussing and expressing emotions. Yet, it opens and closes with remarkable skill, avoiding stiffness and instead showing a "magnificent and sorrowful tone with countless layers" (Tang and Song Poetry Refinement).
P217-218