Chasing dancers, it wafts their light sleeves in flight,
Bearing songs that around the rafters take flight.
It moves branches, creating a chaos of shade,
Blows blossoms, sending their fragrance far conveyed.
Original Poem
「奉和咏风应魏王教」
虞世南
逐舞飘轻袖，传歌共绕梁。
动枝生乱影，吹花送远香。
Interpretation
This poem was composed during the early Tang Dynasty by Yu Shinan, one of the "Four Great Poets of the Early Tang," renowned for his elegant and refined literary style. Prince Li Tai of Wei once wrote "Ode to the Wind" and commanded his courtiers to compose response poems. Yu Shinan wrote this piece as an imperial court poem (应制诗). The entire poem uses the movement of the wind to depict dancing sleeves, songs, shadows of branches, and the scent of flowers. It is both a tribute to the natural wind and an evocation of the atmosphere of an elegant court banquet, reflecting the characteristics of imperial court poetry—embellished language, harmonious tone, and refined artistry.
First Couplet: "逐舞飘轻袖，传歌共绕梁。"
Zhú wǔ piāo qīng xiù, chuán gē gòng rǎo liáng.
Chasing the dance, it flutters the light sleeves;
Carrying the song, it lingers together around the beams.
The wind is personified here, as if enchanted by the dance, it causes the sleeves to flutter gracefully, and as if bearing the song, it lets the melody linger around the beams. Movement and sound intertwine, immersing the reader in the ambience of an elegant court banquet and highlighting the wind’s ethereal and lively nature.
Second Couplet: "动枝生乱影，吹花送远香。"
Dòng zhī shēng luàn yǐng, chuī huā sòng yuǎn xiāng.
Stirring branches, it creates dappled shadows;
Blowing blossoms, it sends their fragrance afar.
The latter couplet shifts to natural scenery. The wind creates mottled shadows by swaying the branches and carries the floral fragrance into the distance. Visual and olfactory elements combine, crafting a multi-sensory artistic atmosphere that emphasizes the wind’s intangible yet pervasive influence.
Holistic Appreciation
Through the wind’s effect on dancing sleeves, songs, shadows, and floral scents, the poem vividly depicts both an elegant court banquet and a harmonious natural scene. The poet skillfully blends visual, auditory, and olfactory elements, creating a synesthetic artistic effect that makes the reader feel present—seeing the fluttering sleeves, hearing the lingering songs, and sensing the distant fragrance. As an imperial court poem, it not only showcases the varied manifestations of the wind but also conveys an atmosphere of joy and harmony, aligning with the aesthetic demands of court literature.
Artistic Merits
- Synesthetic technique: Fusion of visual (sleeves, shadows), auditory (songs), and olfactory (scent of flowers) elements enhances artistic appeal.
- Dynamic and static balance: The dynamic scenes of sleeves fluttering and songs lingering are paired with the relatively static imagery of shadows and distant fragrance, creating rich layers.
- Ornate diction: As an imperial court poem, it emphasizes exquisite language. Yu Shinan constructs an elegant atmosphere through refined imagery.
- Emotion within scenery: While ostensibly describing the wind, the poem uses it to evoke the joy of the banquet, implicitly praising the harmony of the court..
Insights
This poem demonstrates the charm of "synesthesia" and "multi-dimensional description" in literary art. It reminds us that when expressing ideas, we can approach them from multiple senses and perspectives to create a comprehensive aesthetic experience. At the same time, it reflects the aesthetic orientation of court literature, suggesting that while formal beauty is important, spiritual depth should also be infused into the content.
About the Poet
Yu Shinan (虞世南 558 - 638), a native of Yuyao in Zhejiang Province, was a prominent statesman, writer, calligrapher, and politician during the Zhenguan era of the early Tang dynasty. As one of the "Twenty-Four Meritorious Officials of Lingyan Pavilion," he rose to the position of Director of the Imperial Library. His calligraphy earned him a place among the "Four Great Calligraphers of the Early Tang," alongside Ouyang Xun, Chu Suiliang, and Xue Ji. In poetry, he inherited the tradition of Xu Ling and pioneered a refined, balanced, and harmonious courtly style. He also compiled the North Hall Book Excerpts, establishing a new genre of encyclopedic literature.
