High above, from a j ade chamber, songs float half-way to heaven, The palace-girls' gay voices are mingled with the wind - But now they are still, and you hear a water-clock drip in the Court of the Moon... They have opened the curtain wide, they are facing the River of Stars.
Original Poem:
「宫词」
顾况
玉楼天半起笙歌，风送宫嫔笑语和。
月殿影开闻夜漏，水晶帘卷近秋河。
Interpretation:
Palace poems are about the life of the courtesans, and they are usually about their grievances. This poem does not indicate the word “grievances”, and it seems to have nothing to do with “grievances”, but if you taste it carefully, you can appreciate the author’s meaning beyond the words.
The Jade Tower, which is halfway up the sky, is full of music and songs, and the cheerful voices of the concubines are heard in the wind. The palace is so luxurious, are all the people in the palace laughing and joking happily? The last two lines are about seeing the silver splendour of the bright moon shining on the court of the palace, and hearing the ticking sound of the funnel timing.
Rolling up the crystal-like beaded curtains, I looked out of the window and saw that the Milky Way was stretching across the autumn night sky. As a courtesan, in the time of songs and concubines, she was alone, looking at the moonlight shining on the palace, listening to the sound of the funnel, a symbol of the passing of youth; roll up the curtains and see the Milky Way separating the Cowherd and the Weaving Maiden on both sides, can she not associate it with her own life? She may have been a favourite, but now a new favourite has taken her place.
This is exactly “but see the new people laugh, do not hear the old people cry”. The luxury and bustle of the palace contrasts the loneliness of the one who is left out, and the deep resentment of the one who is out of favour. Although the author does not point out the word “resentment” here, the word “resentment” flows between the lines.
The beauty of this poem lies in the fact that it contains but does not reveal, leads but does not send, but the implied meaning is deep and profound, will be a grudging feelings in a light atmosphere baked out.
About the poet:
Gu Kuang(725-814 AD) was a native of Suzhou. In 757 A.D., he was admitted as a jinshi, and served as a secretary during the reign of Emperor Dezong, but he was so depressed that he wrote poems mocking the powerful and the rich that he was relegated to the position of a military officer in Raozhou. Later, he lived in Maoshan Mountain and practised alchemy and monasticism. He liked to paint landscapes and was good at poetry, with many poems reflecting the reality, caring about people’s illnesses and having a satirical meaning. He wrote the Huayang Collection.
