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Silver candles, misty heavens, purple lanes are long.
Forbidden City looks like spring, the daybreak deep, deep green.
Thousands of graceful willow ribbons are layers of green stripes—
Hundreds of flowing oriole songs encircle Jianzhang Palace.
The clinks of swords and belt-chains sound each step in the Jade Courtyard.
In robe and cap, I must resist the smoke of incense burners.
All cleanse themselves in merciful waves above the Phoenix Pool.
Dawn audience: I dip my brush, attend my lord and ruler.
早朝大明宫呈两省僚友
银烛熏天紫陌长，
禁城春色晓苍苍。
千条弱柳垂青琐，
百啭流莺绕建章。
剑佩声随玉墀步，
衣冠身惹御炉香。
共沐恩波凤池上，
朝朝染翰侍君王。
This is not in 3TP but is relevant to both #177 and #178, so stick a pin in it for now.
Written in 758, shortly after the imperial court, now under Emperor Suzong, returned to Chang’an after recapturing it from the forces of An Lushan. The two bureaus are the Secretariat and Chancellery, which were two of the three main branches (along with the six Ministries) of the government. Jia was high up in the Secretariat. The ordinary day of court business started with a dawn audience with the emperor, including a procession of the officials attending. The “belt-chains” (佩) are decorations hung from the belt of an official’s robe, part of his uniform—I’m not thrilled with that translation, but haven’t hit on a better. There’s a pun in l.7: there was indeed a Phoenix Pool (more fully, Paired-Phoenix Pool) on the palace grounds, but it’s also a type of ink-stone.
And, yeah, evidence that calling the imperial palace grounds the Forbidden City waaay predates the one in Beijing.
---L.
Forbidden City looks like spring, the daybreak deep, deep green.
Thousands of graceful willow ribbons are layers of green stripes—
Hundreds of flowing oriole songs encircle Jianzhang Palace.
The clinks of swords and belt-chains sound each step in the Jade Courtyard.
In robe and cap, I must resist the smoke of incense burners.
All cleanse themselves in merciful waves above the Phoenix Pool.
Dawn audience: I dip my brush, attend my lord and ruler.
早朝大明宫呈两省僚友
银烛熏天紫陌长，
禁城春色晓苍苍。
千条弱柳垂青琐，
百啭流莺绕建章。
剑佩声随玉墀步，
衣冠身惹御炉香。
共沐恩波凤池上，
朝朝染翰侍君王。
This is not in 3TP but is relevant to both #177 and #178, so stick a pin in it for now.
Written in 758, shortly after the imperial court, now under Emperor Suzong, returned to Chang’an after recapturing it from the forces of An Lushan. The two bureaus are the Secretariat and Chancellery, which were two of the three main branches (along with the six Ministries) of the government. Jia was high up in the Secretariat. The ordinary day of court business started with a dawn audience with the emperor, including a procession of the officials attending. The “belt-chains” (佩) are decorations hung from the belt of an official’s robe, part of his uniform—I’m not thrilled with that translation, but haven’t hit on a better. There’s a pun in l.7: there was indeed a Phoenix Pool (more fully, Paired-Phoenix Pool) on the palace grounds, but it’s also a type of ink-stone.
And, yeah, evidence that calling the imperial palace grounds the Forbidden City waaay predates the one in Beijing.
---L.