Where, before me, are the ages that have gone? And where, behind me, are the coming generations? I think of heaven and earth, without limit, without end, And I am all alone and my tears fall down.
Original Poem:
《登幽州台歌》
前不见古人，后不见来者。
念天地之悠悠，独怆然而涕下！
Interpretation:
Chen Zi’ang was a literati with political insight and talent. The poet was frustrated one after another and saw his ambition to serve the country in vain, so he climbed the Jibei Building and wrote this poem. The language of the poem is strong, unrestrained and infectious. It expresses the poet’s long-depressed feelings of grief and indignation by describing the infinite feelings triggered by climbing the building to look into the distance and hang on to the past, and profoundly reveals the depressing situation suffered by those intellectuals who failed to realize their talents in the feudal society, and expresses their lonely and depressing feelings when their ideals were destroyed.
According to legend, in order to attract talents, King Zhao of Yan spread gold on the Youzhou Terrace to attract talents from all over the world, so the Youzhou Terrace is also known as the “Golden Terrace”.
In the first two lines, I don’t see the saintly ruler of the ancient times, and I don’t see the bright ruler of the future generations who seeks for talents.
This is a sigh of relief that life is short. The poet looks at the past and present, looking at the long river of history, can not help but feel the shortness of life. Heaven and earth is long, life is in a hurry, just a few decades is like a white horse, a fleeting moment disappeared. This exclamation can lead to both the decadent idea of timely happiness, but also can trigger the ambition to redouble efforts to fight.
The last two sentences: think of only that vast world of infinity, they can not stop full of sadness and hot tears.
Since ancient times, how many humane and ambitious people do not feel that life is short and depressed, but rather more invigorated, so that their own limited life to achieve close to infinite significance. It is because Chen Zi’ang hold this positive attitude, so he is “pathos”. It is also because in the depth of the pathos, contains a positive and vigorous desire to make a difference, so can cause us to resonate.
Poets look up to the past and present, deeply feel the shortness of life, this is the poet empty heart for the people shall not be able to show the cry.
In 659 A.D., Chen Zi’ang(陈子昂) was born in Shehong, Zizhou, a wealthy landowning family of a commoner clan. From childhood, he developed the character of a noble family’s son who was chivalrous and made his temper. At the same time, he was concerned about national affairs and wanted to make political achievements.
In 679 A.D., Chen Zi’ang left the Three Gorges and went north to the capital Chang’an to study at the Guozijian, the highest educational institution at that time, and took the imperial examination the following year. After failing in the examination, he returned to his hometown, Jinhua Mountain, to study. “In a few years, he studied the history and scriptures of a hundred schools of thought. He was especially good at the genre of literature and had the style of Xiangru and Ziyun, which laid a solid foundation for his later literary innovation. In 682 A.D., Chen Zi’ang, who had accomplished his studies, entered the capital again to take the examination, but was still unknown.
In 684, Chen Zi’ang was admitted to the imperial examinations and was promoted to the position of Lintai Zhengzhi, and later to the position of right collector, where he spoke out and advised. At that time, Wu Zetian was in power, and he was a cool official who killed innocent people. He was not afraid of persecution and repeatedly wrote to the government to advise them. When Wu Zetian planned to open the Shu Mountain via Yazhou Road to attack the Qiang tribe, he wrote to oppose it and advocated rest with the people. He was often not accepted for his straightforward remarks, and was once imprisoned because of his “rebellious party” against the strains of Wu Zetian.
In 686 A.D., he accompanied the army of Qiao Zhizhi, the left complementary queer, to the area around Juyanhai and Zhangye River in the northwest.
In 696 A.D., Li Guanzhong and Sun Wanrong of Khitan rebelled and accompanied the army of Wu Youyi, King of Jian’an, to conquer Khitan. The two military campaigns gave him a deeper understanding of the situation in the border areas and the life of the local people.
In 698 A.D., Chen Zi’ang returned to his hometown due to his father’s old age and soon died. During his mourning period, the powerful minister Wu Sansi instructed the Shehong magistrate Duan Jian to fabricate charges and persecute him. In 700 A.D., Chen Zion died in prison at the age of forty-one.
Poem translator:
Kiang Kanghu
