When the Emperor sought guidance from wise men, from exiles,
He found no calmer w i sdom than that of young Chia
And assigned him the foremost council-seat at midnight,
Yet asked him about gods, instead of about people.
Original Poem:
「贾生」
李商隐
宣室求贤访逐臣，贾生才调更无伦。
可怜夜半虚前席，不问苍生问鬼神。
Interpretation:
This is a historical poem in which the poet gives a long sigh on behalf of all the aspiring and talented intellectuals in the world who are unable to do their best for the gods and goddesses of life.
In the first two lines, Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty summoned the deposed ministers in the front hall of the Weiyang Palace to see Jia Yi, whose political talent was unrivaled.
The Emperor Wen of Han Dynasty was seeking for the wisdom of the Emperor. The Emperor Wen had just finished his rituals and consulted the courtier who had just returned from his banishment to Changsha in the main room of the former hall of the Weiyang Palace, and he was very eager to seek for the wisdom of the Emperor. Then the emperor praised Jia Yi's talent through the emperor's mouth, and the emperor's praise emphasized Jia Yi's talent and knowledge from the side. It seems that Jia Yi was deeply appreciated by Emperor Wen Di. We should be happy for Jia Yi that he had the space to realize his ambition.
The last two lines: It is a pity that Emperor Wen moved his knees near Jia Yi in the middle of the night to listen to the lecture, and did not ask about the people's livelihood but only asked about the matter of ghosts and gods.
From the third sentence onwards, the writing style but a steep turn straight down, listening intently, it turned out not for the country for the people, but to ask about the ghosts and gods! A talented man's eloquence is not used in the gods and god, not for the country to plan, for the benefit of the people, but to answer some boring and unnecessary questions, is really sad, pitiful, lamentable. The emperor's concern is not for the people but for the gods; the emperor's quest for wisdom is only to satisfy his own pastime.
The emperor in the poem is not limited to Emperor Han Wendi, and Jia Yi in the poem is even shaking the shadow of the poet himself. The whole poem is full of ups and downs. The poet's satire is very sharp, but implicit but not explicit.
Poem translator:
Kiang Kanghu
About the poet:
Li Shangyin (李商隐), 813-858 AD, was a great poet of the late Tang Dynasty. His poems were on a par with those of Du Mu, and he was known as "Little Li Du". Li Shangyin was a native of Qinyang, Jiaozuo City, Henan Province. When he was a teenager, he lost his father at the age of nine, and was called "Zheshui East and West, half a century of wandering".
