What can poetry reveal about history, mythology, and cultural memory? In the Tang dynasty, poets not only expressed personal emotions but also engaged with historical events, folklore, and timeless legends.
In our previous blog post, we explored themes of frontier life, parting, and nostalgia in Tang quatrains (read Part 1 here). This week, we continue our journey through Tang poetry, focusing on quatrains that draw from historical narratives and mythological allusions. The Tang quatrains cited in this blog are from Tang shi jue ju lei xuan (唐詩絶句類選), a collection of Tang poetry available in our Chinese Rare Books Collection.
Tang shi jue ju lei xuan: si juan [volume 01]; 唐詩絶句類選: 四卷 [第一冊], The First Page of Poetry on History, page 55
Poetry on History
During the Tang dynasty, the ability to craft a well-formed poem was an essential skill for educated individuals, often used to mark personal milestones, comment on politics, or reflect on history. Some of these works endured beyond their original context and became literary classics. One representative poem in the theme of historical reflection is “Wuyi Lane” (烏衣巷) by Liu Yuxi.
The poem describes Wuyi Lane, a historic district in Nanjing. The name “Wuyi” (literally “black clothing”) has two possible origins. Some suggest that it refers to the black uniforms worn by soldiers stationed there during the Three Kingdoms period, while others believe it is named after the aristocratic Wang and Xie families, who lived in the area during the Eastern Jin dynasty and whose descendants dressed in dark-coloured robes. By the Tang dynasty, however, the once-thriving neighbourhood had fallen into decay, serving as a reminder of the fleeting nature of wealth and prestige.
Tang shi jue ju lei xuan: si juan [volume 01]; 唐詩絶句類選: 四卷 [第一冊], pages 60-61
劉禹錫 Liu Yuxi · 烏衣巷 Wuyi Lane
朱雀橋邊野草花，
Beside the Bridge of Birds rank grasses overgrow;
烏衣巷口夕陽斜。
O’er the Street of Mansions the setting sun hangs low.
舊時王謝堂前燕，
Swallows that skimmed by eaves painted in bygone days,
飛入尋常百姓家。
Are dipping now among the humble home’s doorways.
(Translated by Xu Yuanchong, a Chinese translator and professor at Peking University)
One of the poem’s most striking features is its subtle, indirect approach to historical reflection. Rather than explicitly lamenting the passage of time, Liu Yuxi employs a symbolic image: swallows, which once nested in the grand mansions of the Wang and Xie families, now find their homes in ordinary households. This simple yet evocative shift underscores the inevitable cycle of rise and decline in history.
Poetry on Myths
Tang poetry often draws upon mythology to express emotions or political allegories. Many well-known poems reference legends associated with traditional festivals, such as Chang’e’s flight to the moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival or the Cowherd and Weaver Girl’s reunion on the Magpie Bridge during the Qixi Festival. However, the following poem takes a different approach, expanding on the myth of King Mu of Zhou (周穆王).
Daoism (道教, Dao-jiao) flourished during the Tang dynasty, largely due to the imperial family’s patronage and support. It is important to distinguish Dao-jiao from Dao-jia (道家): while both are translated as “Daoism,” Dao-jia refers to the philosophical thoughts and teachings of Laozi and Zhuangzi, emphasizing harmony with nature and spiritual transcendence, whereas Dao-jiao is a religious tradition that includes the quest for eternal life. Chinese alchemy (煉丹術, lian-dan-shu) and the pursuit of immortality were central to Dao-jiao’s traditions. Over the 289-year reign of the Tang dynasty, five emperors are believed to have died from poisoning after consuming the “Pill of Immortality”.
The following poem references the Queen Mother of the West (西王母, Si Wang-mu), a revered goddess in Daoist mythology. In the legendary account found in Tale of King Mu, Son of Heaven (穆天子傳), King Mu (or Emperor Mu), the fifth ruler of the Western Zhou dynasty, dreamed of becoming an immortal. He was said to have received a grand banquet invitation at the celestial Jade Pool, hosted by the Queen Mother. The poem imagines the Queen Mother waiting in vain for his return, suggesting that King Mu has long since perished. This serves as a veiled critique of rulers’ futile obsession with immortality.
Tang shi jue ju lei xuan: si juan [volume 01]; 唐詩絶句類選: 四卷 [第一冊], pages 64-65
李商隱 Li Shang-yin · 瑤池 Jade Pool
瑤池阿母綺窗開，
The Mother of Heaven,
in her window by the Jade Pool,
黃竹歌聲動地哀。
Hears the Yellow Bamboo Song shaking the whole earth.
八駿日行三萬里，
Where is Emperor Mu, with his eight horses running
Ten thousand miles a day?
穆王何事不重來。
Why has he never come back?
(Translation in Tang Shi San Bai Shou (300 Tang Poems), University of Virginia Library, 1920)
Another version with more nuanced implications is available in Betty Tseng’s 2010 translation:
By the Marble Pond [1], wide open are the silk-screened windows of the Heaven Empress [2],
Audible on earth is the sound of nature singing the Yellow Bamboo verses.
Tales tell of eight steeds in historic Zhou that could ten thousand leagues gallop in a day,
Where is their master, the longevity pursuing Emperor Mu, who has never returned?
Notes: [1] Jade Pool; [2] Queen Mother of the West.
Like many classical Tang poems, this one employs subtle, indirect critique. However, the contrast between its two vivid images amplifies its emotional impact: the first line depicts the grandeur of the immortal realm, while the next evokes earthly sorrow and loss. A deeper interpretation suggests that the mention of the “Yellow Bamboo Song” alludes to suffering among the common people while their rulers indulge in the fantasy of immortality.
Through these two quatrains, we see how Tang poets wove history and mythology into their verses, creating layered expressions of critique and reflection. Both poems offer glimpses into the intellectual and cultural landscape of the Tang dynasty, where poetry was not only an art form but also a means of engaging with historical memory and ideological concerns.
As we continue exploring classical Chinese poetry, we invite you to delve deeper into the intersections of literature, history, and myth.
Thank you for reading!
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