Official Drums
- Poetry of Li He

《官街鼓》

English Rendering

At dawn official drumbeats hasten the sunrise;

At dusk the booming drums call the moon to the skies.

When yellow willows put forth new buds in the town,

In tomb is buried the favorite of the crown.

The drums have boomed a thousand years, still shines the sun,

But ancient emperors of Qin and Han have done.

Your hair once black may turn white as reed flowers stand,

The drums with southern hills will ever guard our land.

Even immortals were buried in the sky,

The drumbeats and the water-clock will never die.

Official Drums by Li He
Official Drums by Li He

Original Text (中文原文)

晓声隆隆催转日,暮声隆隆呼月出。

汉城黄柳映新帘,柏陵飞燕埋香骨。

磓碎千年日长白,孝武秦皇听不得。

从君翠发芦花色,独共南山守中国。

几回天上葬神仙,漏声相将无断绝。

Analysis & Context

"Official Drums" is a seven-character ancient poem written by the Tang Dynasty poet Li He. Through the depiction of the sound of the Guanjie Drum, the poet contrasts the intangible nature of time and the fleeting nature of life with the infinite universe and the eternal drumbeat. This expresses a profound lament for the passage of time. Li He, who died young and lived at the bottom of society, often felt the brevity of life and was particularly sensitive to the changes of the world, making his reflections on the passage of time even deeper.

Reader's Companion

The Essence of the Verse

Classical Chinese poetry thrives on Concision and Ambiguity. Without tense or number, the words create a timeless space where the reader becomes the co-creator of the poem's meaning.

Reading Between the Lines

Look for Contrasts: light and shadow, movement and stillness. Don't just translate the words; feel the Yijing (artistic conception) that lingers long after the last character.

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