Presented to Retainer Lei, Shi Ke

[lnhammer]

(Shi) Ke from western Sichuan was good at painting, as well as work-songs and poems. When the Former Shu kingdom fell (in 925), he went to Kaifeng, where he made a sacrifice begging to be able to return, then expired on the road. Later, Retainer Lei received an imperial appointment in Hengyang. He encountered Ke when they shared lodgings, and was presented with a poem. Only after they parted did he realize (Ke) was already dead. When he arrived to take up his office, the government hall was exactly as Ke described.

Hengyang—yes, I left there exactly three years since:
The route in that direction goes extremely smooth.
A deep gate through the wall leaves all three Chus outside.
The hall is by a breeze-cooled pond, before five peaks.
The market’s to the west where traveling merchants come—
East, a bankside isle where swarm the fishing boats.
The official retires—he just shouldn’t have more work:
At Cinnabar Hill, behind the cave, see the Immortal.

赠雷殿直
作者：石恪
〈恪，西蜀人，善画，亦工歌诗。孟蜀亡，入汴供奉，乞归，道卒。后殿直雷承昊任衡阳，遇恪，与同宿，赠以诗。别去，始悟其已死，及到任，公宇一如恪言。〉
衡阳去此正三年，
一路程途甚坦然。
深邃门墙三楚外，
清风池馆五峰前。
西边市井来商客，
东岸汀洲簇钓船。
公退只应无别事，
朱陵后洞看神仙。

Former Shu was another of the Ten Kingdoms of southern China formed after the breakup of the Tang Dynasty, controlling the Sichuan basin until it was conquered by the Later Tang Dynasty. Kaifeng is in eastern Henan, while Hengyang is in southern Hunan, well south of the Yangzi—which is geographically confusing as it’s not really on the route between Sichuan and Henan. (It’d be Really Helpful if the town where they shared lodgings was named kthxbye.) The Three Chus are three more of the Ten Kingdoms, each including part of the territory of the Chu region—at that time, Hengyang was part of one of them, Ma Chu. Cinnabar Hill was one of the 36 Doaist Paradises, reputedly in Hengyang, also used generically as a fanciful name for a Doaist’s residenc.

And with that, I’ve finished all the poems of CPT chapter 865. Chapter 866 has more entries (and some are the longest entries) but I’ve already done several, so we’re slightly more than halfway through the collection as a whole.

—L.