The Premier of Shu, Du Fu (300 Tang Shi #182)

Memorial shrine of that premier, where look for it?
Outside the Chengdu walls, in cypresses so dense.
Reflecting stairs and jade-green grass—I am spring colors.
Dense leaves and orioles—in vain their dulcet notes.
Three visits—often vexed with worldwide strategies—
Two courts founded and aided—a senior statesman’s soul.
The master wasn’t victorious before he died:
Long has he made tears soak the collars of brave heroes.

蜀相
丞相祠堂何处寻？
锦官城外柏森森，
映阶碧草自春色，
隔叶黄鹂空好音。
三顾频烦天下计，
两朝开济老臣心。
出师未捷身先死，
长使英雄泪满襟。



Onward to a string of 13 (!) poems by Du Fu. This may take a while to get through.

The premier was Zhuge Liang, prime minister of the kingdom of Shu (centered in Sichuan) at the start of the Three Kingdoms era. Several memorial halls/temples were built after his death, but this is the most important one, and can still be visited (see pic above). Idioms: Chengdu (where Du Fu was living) is referred to by the alternate name Jinguan (“brocade official”), and worldwide is literally “[all] under heaven.” The “three visits” refers to how Liu Bei supposedly had to visit Zhuge Liang three times to recruit him to his cause (which wasn’t looking good at the time—he was a minor warlord rapidly losing territory). The “two courts” are those of Liu Bei and his successor Liu Chan. The last two lines have become proverbial.

See also #235 and #150, plus a few more Du Fu poems to come in a bit.



---L.