Sir Jia, Li Shangyin (Tang Shi #304)
Thursday, 16 April 2020 12:34![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lnhammerThe palace needed talent, but demoted this official:
Sir Jia was capable indeed—and more, without a peer.
So what a pity: modest now before the throne at midnight,
The emperor ignores the people, asking of ghosts and gods.
贾生
宣室求贤访逐臣，
贾生才调更无伦。
可怜夜半虚前席，
不问苍生问鬼神。
The capable official and scholar Jia Yi was demoted to a provincial office for submitting a memo criticising Han Emperor Wen. He was later summoned back to the capital not to reinstate him, but rather for a late-night consultation on how to raise spirits. The incident is a common idiom for a missed opportunity.
(Metrical note: Jia is a single syllable, where the -i- indicates glide after the consonant -- /djya/.)
---L.
Sir Jia was capable indeed—and more, without a peer.
So what a pity: modest now before the throne at midnight,
The emperor ignores the people, asking of ghosts and gods.
贾生
宣室求贤访逐臣，
贾生才调更无伦。
可怜夜半虚前席，
不问苍生问鬼神。
The capable official and scholar Jia Yi was demoted to a provincial office for submitting a memo criticising Han Emperor Wen. He was later summoned back to the capital not to reinstate him, but rather for a late-night consultation on how to raise spirits. The incident is a common idiom for a missed opportunity.
(Metrical note: Jia is a single syllable, where the -i- indicates glide after the consonant -- /djya/.)
---L.