The oriole Astray
- Poetry of Li Shangyin
The oriole drifts, unsure, now here, now there, astray;
O’er paths and streams it roams, not master of its way.
Can artful song spring from a heart that knows no care?
Fine days don’t promise meetings, though the world seem fair.
Through wind, through dew, through shine and shade, it flits alone;
By gates that shut like those that open, all unknown.
Spring-stricken once, I found its song too sharp to bear —
Where in the kingly town blooms a branch for its despair?
This poem was written during Li Shangyin's later years, likely around 851 AD. This period marked a time of profound personal hardship and spiritual isolation for the poet. Following the death of his father-in-law Wang Maoyuan, which severed his political patronage, Li Shangyin was forced to wander from one provincial headquarters to another—from Guizhou to Xuzhou, then to Zizhou—truly embodying a state of "wandering, unsteady" existence. This work is thus a product of the twin pressures of personal destiny and the temper of the times. The poet's choice of the "wandering oriole" as the central image is deliberate: the bird's seasonal migrations mirror the poet's own drift between posts, while its beautiful yet seemingly unanswered song resonates deeply with the poet's own plight of possessing "towering talent yet never realizing his lifelong aspirations." Moreover, by this time, Li Shangyin held no more illusions about his official prospects; poetic creation had become his primary means of affirming his own existence and soothing a fragmented spirit.
流莺漂荡复参差，度陌临流不自持。
巧啭岂能无本意？良辰未必有佳期。
风朝露夜阴晴里，万户千门开闭时。
曾苦伤春不忍听，凤城何处有花枝。
- 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.