English Rendering
When gaily the Emperor toured the south
Contrary to every warning,
His whole empire cut brocades,
Half for wheel-guards, half for sails.
The Sui Palace
- Poetry of Li Shangyin
《隋宫-乘兴南游不戒严》
Original Text (中文原文)
乘兴南游不戒严，九重谁省谏书函
春风举国裁宫锦，半作障泥半作帆。
Analysis & Context
Seven-character-quatrain
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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