The Zither of the Xiang River Spirits
- Poetry of Qian Qi
Her zither pierces clouds with tones divine,
Where drowned princesses haunt the misty brine.
The River God dances with futile zeal,
While exiled Chu souls choke on grief too real.
Bitter strains out-cry metal and stone,
Pure notes rise where dark stars alone.
From Cangwu mounts drifts endless woe,
White blooms breathe scent through winds that blow.
Xiao's waves bear melodies away,
Dongting's gales weep through reed beds grey.
The song ends—no form in sight,
Just jade-green peaks in fading light.
Composed in 751 for the imperial civil service examination, this regulated verse established Qian Qi's literary reputation and became the most celebrated examination poem of the Tang dynasty. Drawing from the Chuci tradition where Xiang River goddesses play zithers to mourn the legendary Emperor Shun, the poem transforms a mythological motif into profound meditation on art's transcendent power to connect human emotion with cosmic forces.
善鼓云和瑟，常闻帝子灵。
冯夷空自舞，楚客不堪听。
苦调凄金石，清音入杳冥。
苍梧来怨慕，白芷动芳馨。
流水传潇浦，悲风过洞庭。
曲终人不见，江上数峰青。
- 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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- After Rain at the River Crossing
- Dawn Visit to Yu Pool with Hermit Xie
- To Censors Li and Yuan, with a Message for Wu Wuling
- On Hearing of the Imperial Plowing Ceremony
- Summer Nap