Inscribed on a Small Mound in the Outskirts, Miserable Wei

[lnhammer]

Around 832, Wēi was a Middle Minister. After there was a death, Wéi Qixiu, the deputy militia commander west of the Zhe, frequently saw spirits strange. One day, alas, his servant said, “A miserable third-rank official has come.” This third-rank official was indeed Wēi, who had just died that very day. Wēi was suddenly heard to sigh and say, “I arranged several days ago to descend to a small tomb in the outskirts (with) a single randomly inscribed poem,” whereupon this newly made ghost recited the poem. Qixiu replied, “Sir, this poem concealed what was surely a prophecy.”

A new-set cover of rushes, east of a country stream—
Pine and catalpa shadows mix in a mournful manner.
In the world of man, the months and years are flowing water:
What thing travels over and over this middle road?

题少陵别墅
作者：萧微
〈微，太和中职方郎中。浙西团练副使韦齐休死后，屡见灵异。一日，呼其家人曰：“萧三郎来。”三郎者，即微也。是日，微正死。俄闻微叹曰：“仆数日前至少陵别墅，偶题诗一首。”乃是生作鬼诗，因吟之。齐休曰：“足下此诗，盖是自谶。”〉
新构茅斋野涧东，
松楸交影足悲风。
人间岁月如流水，
何事频行此路中。

Miserable Wēi and militia officer Wéi have different surnames, 微 and 韦 respectively. The Zhe River is the eponym of Zhejiang. A “cover of rushes” would ordinarily be understood as a thatched roof, but given a prophecy, I left it literal to allow reading it as what’s growing on the burial mound. FWIW, the prose of the headnote has a more elaborated style than most of these—pretty clearly a different writer.

---L.

Comments

[sartorias]

I love those first two lines.

[lnhammer]

Yes!

Though the deputy militia commander sounds like he belongs in a historical drama.

[lnhammer]

BTW, I should admit I'm going back and forth on how to understand the first character of the title, as the verb "inscribe" or "on the topic of." Most poems I've met that use it, "inscribed" is clear, but this one, "topic" might fit better.