Han Yu Collection

Author: Han Yu of the Tang Dynasty, edited by Yan Chang
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2000-09-01
Features:
The Preface to the "Poem on the Virtue of the Yuanhe Era" by Han Yu, with a respectful bow and prostration:
I have seen that since the enthronement of Your Majesty, the Emperor, you have executed traitorous ministers, bringing clarity and honesty to the court. You have defeated Yang Huilin and Liu Bi in the west to secure Xia and Shu; in the east, you have pacified the rebellions in Qing and Xu that had lasted for years, causing the people of the land to tremble and dare not defy. You have offered sacrifices to heaven and worshipped at the ancestral temples, pleasing the divine spirits; in times of wind and rain, darkness and light, all have followed in accordance. The era of peace and prosperity is upon us.
Grateful for Your Majesty’s benevolence, I stand daily with the ministers beneath the Purple Hall, witnessing Your Majesty’s radiant grace. Moreover, my duty involves instructing the national students in the classics, and it is therefore fitting for me to lead by composing a poem to praise Your Majesty’s virtues. I cannot excuse myself with shallow words, so I have written a four-line poem titled "Poem on the Virtue of the Yuanhe Era," totaling one thousand and twenty-four characters.
I have recorded the facts with precision, fully depicting Your Majesty’s sacred and martial virtues to awaken the eyes and ears of the people and to pass on this legacy indefinitely. The poem is as follows:
Your Majesty ascended the throne, and nothing opposed you.
When you said it would rain, it rained; when you said it would be sunny, it was sunny.
In the first year of the era, thieves appeared in Xia,
Seeking to overthrow the state and follow the path of rebellion.
Your Majesty exclaimed, "Surely this is within my power?
To be petty and difficult is unbearable! To let them go is unthinkable!"
You dispatched troops to attack them, a force of ten thousand,
Arriving beneath their city walls, warning them of blessings and punishments.
Their ranks were broken, their branches scattered,
They dared not hold out.
Their heads were thrown outside the walls, and surrender flags were raised at night.
The dangers beyond the borders are none greater than the land of Shu.
When Wei Gao left his post, Liu Bi seized control.
He dripped blood from his fangs, refusing to yield.
He opened his treasury to feed his men, saying, "Take what you will."
You said, "You draw your bows, beat your drums, and write to me for a leader."
The matter was heard in council, and all were angry.
Your Majesty said, "Indeed. But lament the distant people.
If they submit and live in peace, then entrust them to me."
You read the decree in the court, issued the banner from the Ministry of Revenue,
Departed from the capital at dawn and arrived at their region by evening.
Liu Bi rejoiced and told his followers, "You rally your ranks, and Shu can be fully ours.
This should not be accepted."
They roasted thousands of oxen and served wine in thousands of jars,
Wrapping their legs in silk and tying their heads with red kerchiefs.
Some found it strange, others were lured by the temptation.
They emerged in crowds, numbering in the tens of thousands.
They then seized Dongchuan and occupied the city, blocking the way.
Your Majesty exclaimed, "How could this be allowed!
You ordered the Chongwen to divide the troops and suppress them.
They pacified their movements without harming our fields.
Marching at thirty miles a day, they gradually outflanked Liu Bi.
Liu Bi’s faction plotted, holding the pass of Lutou.
The Chongwen, following the decree, advanced and retreated in order:
They fought without excessive killing, captured without numbering too many.
The regional commanders gathered their troops, halting and waiting for orders.
Your Majesty praised, "No trouble for you;
Jing, Bing, and Liang are our country’s gates.
You dispatched three thousand troops, each chosen for their worth;
Four armies converged, like a mountain’s abundance.
Some sheared their horns, some shed their hooves,
They advanced majestically, without conflict.
On the twelfth day of the eighth month, Liu Bi abandoned the city and fled,
Carrying his wife and concubines, wrapped in children.
That day, the Chongwen entered their quarters,
Dispersing and pursuing, searching the forests.
Liu Bi, cornered and desperate, had no place to hide.
He looked down at the great river, seeing no isles.
He overturned like a pestle cast into a mortar.
They seized him from the river, shackling his head and hands.
The women wept and knelt, coming to the palace to report to the temple.
They were paraded through the city, for all to see.
They freed the shackles and bound them to anvil and axe.
The innocent children, stripped bare and hunched,
Were dragged by the head and feet, their spines and ribs broken first.
Next came his followers, their bodies and bones propped up.
Finally, Liu Bi was taken, drenched in sweat,
As the soldiers wielded their knives, cutting meat and flesh.
The generals and officials were generously rewarded,
Adorned with jade and silk.
Silk piled in their homes, grain filled their granaries.
They mourned the fallen in battle, providing for the widowed and orphans,
Bestowing offices and sealing tombs, with great compassion.
The lands of war were granted tax exemptions.
Orders were issued to reward the meritorious, swiftly and urgently.