Song of the Emerald Tower: Winter of 1186
- Poetry of Jiang Kui
The moon chills the desert sands,
Dust settles on fortress walls—
This year, the emperor’s grace descends anew.
Fresh Tartar melodies rise,
Through felt tents, generals’ songs resound.
Tiered towers stand proud:
Crimson coils round carved rails,
Jade eaves pierce emerald skies.
Ladies fair,
Their powdered fragrance drifting down
On the thin, frost-laced breeze.
Here should dwell a poet-immortal,
Astride white clouds with yellow cranes,
To roam with you in joy.
Long I gaze from the jade stairs—
Only endless mournful grass remains.
This taste of the world’s edge:
Wine to purge my sorrows,
Flowers to dissolve my might.
Beyond the western hills,
As dusk descends,
A scroll of silk unveils—
Autumn’s crystal clarity.
Composed in the winter of 1186 during Emperor Xiaozong's reign, this ci poem celebrates the inauguration of Anyuan Tower in Wuchang. At the time, Jiang Kui was traveling through the Jianghan region and joined friends to admire the newly constructed tower—a successor to the legendary Yellow Crane Tower, long a site for lofty contemplation. While depicting the structure's grandeur and celebratory banquets, the poet seamlessly transitions to historical reflection and personal lament, blending ethereal elegance with profound melancholy in a masterpiece of his later years.
月冷龙沙，尘清虎落，今年汉初赐。
新翻胡部曲，听毡幕元戎歌吹。
层楼高峙，看槛曲萦红，檐牙飞翠。
人姝丽，粉香吹下，夜寒风细。
此地宜有词仙，拥素云黄鹤，与君游戏。
玉梯凝望久，但芳草萋萋千里。
天涯情味，仗酒祓清愁，花消英气。
西山外，晚来还卷，一帘秋霁。
- 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.
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