Sleek Horse and Light Furs
- Poetry of Bai Juyi
The road is overwhelmed with their pride,
Saddled steeds brighten the roadside.
How proud these officers appear
For they are eunuchs without fear!
They wear official tassels red
And violet ribbon round the head.
To feast in the army they're proud,
Their horses run as light as cloud.
They drink and eat, wine cup in hand,
Delicious food from sea and land.
The oranges come from the lakeside;
The fish from Heaven's Pool well fried.
Full fed, they set their heart at ease;
Drunken, they would do as they please.
This year in the south the drought rages;
Men eat human flesh like savages.
During the mid-Tang period, eunuchs wielded immense power, controlling state affairs and even manipulating imperial succession. As a Left Remonstrator, Bai Juyi was highly politically aware. This poem, composed in 809 during the fourth year of Emperor Xianzong’s Yuanhe reign, critiques the extravagant lifestyle of eunuchs and the resulting social injustices. The title, "Light and Excess," originates from The Analects, symbolizing the poet's satirical condemnation of their opulent indulgence.
意气骄满路，鞍马光照尘。
借问何为者，人称是内臣。
朱绂皆大夫，紫绶或将军。
夸赴军中宴，走马去如云。
樽罍溢九酝，水陆罗八珍。
果擘洞庭橘，脍切天池鳞。
食饱心自若，酒酣气益振。
是岁江南旱，衢州人食人。
- Why Chinese poems is so special?
- The most distinctive features of Chinese poetry are: concision- many poems are only four lines, and few are much longer than eight; ambiguity- number, tense and parts of speech are often undetermined, creating particularly rich interpretative possibilities; and structure- most poems follow quite strict formal patterns which have beauty in themselves as well as highlighting meaningful contrasts.
- How to read a Chinese poem?
- Like an English poem, but more so. Everything is there for a reason, so try to find that reason. Think about all the possible connotations, and be aware of the different possibilities of number and tense. Look for contrasts: within lines, between the lines of each couplet and between successive couplets. Above all, don't worry about what the poet meant- find your meaning.