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Gazing at Yueyang in the Evening After … [full title inside], Liu Changqing (300 Tang Shi #197)
After Arriving at Parrot Island from Xiakou, Gazing towards Yueyang in the Evening, Sent to Deputy Censor Yuan, Liu Changqing
There’s no waves at this sandy isle, and too no haze—
This southern traveler’s yearnings grow, yes, vaster still.
At Hankou, evening sunlight stants across this “bird”
While Dongting’s autumn waters are distant, joining the sky.
A lonely city, backed by mountains—horns blowing in winter.
Lone garrison by the river—boat anchored for the night.
Jia Yi presented a petition, worried for Han,
And was demoted to Changsha—a grief ever since.
自夏口至鹦洲夕望岳阳寄源中丞
汀洲无浪复无烟，
楚客相思益渺然。
汉口夕阳斜渡鸟，
洞庭秋水远连天。
孤城背岭寒吹角，
独戍临江夜泊船。
贾谊上书忧汉室，
长沙谪去古今怜。
Xiakou is now part of Wuhan (as is Hankou), and Yingwu (“parrot”) Island is a sandbar in the Yangzi nearby (see #170). Yueyang on the shore of Lake Dongting (see #114), over 100mi/160km away i.e. not visible. Qu Yuan is associated with that area, however, and like Jia Yi (see #196) he was demoted—in his case, from the court of the Warring State of Chu—for also trying to do the right instead of politic thing. So, yeah. To pick up on that resonance, I should probably have used the literal “Chu” instead of the less clunky “southern.” Oh well. Normally I’d not translate the island’s name as it’s just a place name, but the author wordplays on it in line 3.
It’s tempting to see suggest that these three poems by Liu Changqing were written on a single journey up the Yangzi, in the order #195, #197, #196. This would make a tidy sequence, anyway, but the only evidence for timing I have is that 196 was written about a year later than 195.
Also, the more I come across all these very Confucian poems lamenting someone getting in trouble for doing the right instead of politic thing, the more and more interesting I find that #99 was included in this collection, in which Du Fu is counseled to do the politic instead of right thing.
---L.
There’s no waves at this sandy isle, and too no haze—
This southern traveler’s yearnings grow, yes, vaster still.
At Hankou, evening sunlight stants across this “bird”
While Dongting’s autumn waters are distant, joining the sky.
A lonely city, backed by mountains—horns blowing in winter.
Lone garrison by the river—boat anchored for the night.
Jia Yi presented a petition, worried for Han,
And was demoted to Changsha—a grief ever since.
自夏口至鹦洲夕望岳阳寄源中丞
汀洲无浪复无烟，
楚客相思益渺然。
汉口夕阳斜渡鸟，
洞庭秋水远连天。
孤城背岭寒吹角，
独戍临江夜泊船。
贾谊上书忧汉室，
长沙谪去古今怜。
Xiakou is now part of Wuhan (as is Hankou), and Yingwu (“parrot”) Island is a sandbar in the Yangzi nearby (see #170). Yueyang on the shore of Lake Dongting (see #114), over 100mi/160km away i.e. not visible. Qu Yuan is associated with that area, however, and like Jia Yi (see #196) he was demoted—in his case, from the court of the Warring State of Chu—for also trying to do the right instead of politic thing. So, yeah. To pick up on that resonance, I should probably have used the literal “Chu” instead of the less clunky “southern.” Oh well. Normally I’d not translate the island’s name as it’s just a place name, but the author wordplays on it in line 3.
It’s tempting to see suggest that these three poems by Liu Changqing were written on a single journey up the Yangzi, in the order #195, #197, #196. This would make a tidy sequence, anyway, but the only evidence for timing I have is that 196 was written about a year later than 195.
Also, the more I come across all these very Confucian poems lamenting someone getting in trouble for doing the right instead of politic thing, the more and more interesting I find that #99 was included in this collection, in which Du Fu is counseled to do the politic instead of right thing.
---L.