The kingdom collapsed after the Song of Jade Tree;
The garrison deserted when came the enemy.
Planted with pines, a thousand tombs spread far and nigh;
Buried amid the weed, palaces stand low and high.
The swallow of stone scrapes the white cloud, rain or shine;
The night breeze blows with waves raised by the river swine.
The splendor fades when heroes are gone one and all;
Only green hills look like the ancient capital.
Original Poem:
「金陵怀古」
许浑
玉树歌残王气终，景阳兵合戍楼空。
松楸远近千官冢，禾黍高低六代宫。
石燕拂云晴亦雨，江豚吹浪夜还风。
英雄一去豪华尽，惟有青山似洛中。
Interpretation:
This poem was likely written around the eighth year of the Tang Dynasty’s Dàhé reign (834 CE), during Xu Hùn’s travels in the Jiangnan region. Jinling (modern-day Nanjing) was once a prosperous capital of the Six Dynasties, but after the Sui and Tang Dynasties shifted the political center, its former glory faded away. Through depicting the rise and fall of Jinling, this poem reflects the poet’s deep feelings about the ebb and flow of dynasties and the failure of ambitions in his own career.
First Couplet:“玉树歌残王气终，景阳兵合戍楼空。”
(The melody of “The Jade Tree and the Flower Garden” had barely ended when the dynasty’s fate was sealed; at Jingyang Palace, armies converged, leaving the guard towers desolate.)
The poet begins with the historical fall of the Chen dynasty to the Sui, capturing the tragic end of the dynasty. From the fading melodies of "Yushu Hou Ting Hua" to the imagery of soldiers surrounding the city, the poet paints the turning point from prosperity to decline, revealing the inevitability of ruin.
Second Couple:“松楸远近千官冢，禾黍高低六代宫。”
(Graves of former officials, marked by pine and cypress, stretch far and wide; abandoned palaces of the Six Dynasties are now overrun by crops.)
By describing the graves and ruins around Jinling, the poet highlights the decay of once-lavish palaces, emphasizing the dramatic transformations and the passage of time.
Third Couple:“石燕拂云晴亦雨，江豚吹浪夜还风。”
(Stone swallows skim through the clouds, and even on clear days, rain may fall; dolphins churn the waves, and gusty winds linger through the night.)
The natural world's unpredictable changes are used as metaphors for the fluctuating tides of history, illustrating how once-powerful heroes have now vanished like fleeting clouds.
Fourth Couple:“英雄一去豪华尽，惟有青山似洛中。”
(The heroes have departed, and the splendor has faded; only the enduring mountains stand, reminiscent of the landscape near Luoyang.)
The poet contrasts the eternal nature of the mountains with the fleeting nature of human affairs, expressing the relentless passage of time. While the grandeur of Jinling has vanished, the unchanging mountains remain as a symbol of history’s indifference.
Writing Characteristics:
- Well-Structured, Layered Composition: The poem is divided into three parts, moving from the historical changes of Jinling to its present decay, and finally reflecting the interplay between nature and history.
- Blend of Reality and Emotion: The poet combines vivid depictions of reality with metaphors drawn from nature, embedding deep emotions into the landscape.
- Precise and Powerful Language: The use of words like "fading," "empty," "end," and "finished" conveys the essence of prosperity's inevitable decline with minimalism.
- Strong Contrast and Powerful Juxtaposition: The contrast between the fading of heroes and opulence, and the constancy of the mountains, highlights the cruel nature of history.
Overall Appreciation:
Set against the backdrop of the fall of the Chen dynasty, this poem paints a vivid picture of Jinling's decline, using natural changes as metaphors for the inevitable decay of history. From the nostalgic recollections of the past to the stark present reality, the poet reimagines Jinling’s rise and fall. The poem blends romanticism with realism, using the shifts in nature and the fates of historical figures to create a deep, emotional resonance.
About the poet:
Xu Hun (许浑), c. 791 - 858 AD, was a Tang Dynasty poet, a native of Danyang, Jiangsu Province. He was one of the most influential poets of the Late Tang Dynasty. His poems are characterized by nostalgia for ancient times and idyllic poems, in which he describes the scenery of water and rain.
