The Fu of Tao Chien

Harvard-Yenching Institute
The Fu of T'ao Ch'ien Author(s): James Robert Hightower Source: Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, Vol. 17, No. 1/2 (Jun., 1954), pp. 169-230 Published by: Harvard-Yenching Institute Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2718131 . Accessed: 29/07/2011 17:23
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THE FU OF T'AO CH'IEN

JAMES ROBERT HIGHTOWER
HARVARDUNIVERSITY
T'AO Ch'ien is famousas the greatest lyricpoet of China before the T'ang dynasty,and his poems have frequently been translated.' With the exceptionof " The Return" , his rare 2 are less well knownthan his lyrics, compositions in the fu form and justly so. My purpose in offering new translations of T'AO Ch'ien's threefu is to show how in each of themhe was writing in a well-established and to point out the natureof his tradition, achievement in " The Return,"where, by subverting the tradition to his own ends, he made a conventionalformthe vehicle for intensely personal expression. The only one of these fu which is dated is " The Return," ' and at the fullmaturity written whenT'AO Ch'ien was thirty of his poetic power. The othertwo are almost certainly earlier;at least theyare avowedlywritten as poetic exercises, variationson established themes, and shouldbe approachedby way of the conventionsthey accept and exploit. Of these two fu, " Stillingthe I' is more nearlya stereotype, Passions " W and it deals with a theme which does not elsewhereappear in T'AO'S poetry. The " Lament for Gentlemen Born out of Their Time " l14?A is equally conventional, but is a topic whichhe treatedfrequently in his lyricsand which was apparentlymore congenial. I shall take themup in order, reserving forlast " The Return." T'AO'Spreface 4 to " Stilling the Passions " defines the natureof his poem and names two of his models:
'To those listed in HJAS 16 (1953).0265-6should be added the recenit publication The Poems of T'ao Ch'ien translatedby Lily Pao-hu CHANG and Marjorie SINCLAIR (Universityof Hawaii Press, Honolulu, 1953). 'Following the lead of HSIAo T'ung, who created a special category, " Tz'u," forthis and one other quite dissimilarcompositionin the Wen hsiian, most translatorshave failed to observe that this too is a fu. 'According to Lu Ch'in-li's chronology, which I am following;cf. HJAS 16.266, note 8. ' Ching-chieh chi 5.4b-5a. This and all subsequentT'AO Ch'ien references hsien-sheng are to T'AO Chu's editionas publishedby the Chiang-suShu-chii,referred to as Works.
169
170
Ts'AI
First of all CHANG Heng wrote a fu " On Stabilizing the Passions," and Yung one " On Quietingthe Passions." They avoided inflated language, aiming chiefly at simplicity.Their compositions begin by givingfreeexpression to theirfanciesbut end on a note of quiet, servingadmirablyto restrain the undisciplinedand passionate nature: they truly furtherthe ends of salutary warning. Since their time, writersin every generationhave been I have inspiredto elaborateon the theme,and in the leisureof my retirement taken up my brush to write in my turn. Granted that my literaryskill leaves somethingto be desired,I have perhaps not been unfaithful to the idea of those originalauthors.
appear in T'ang encyclopediasand commentaries, along with severalothersattributed to writers who lived beforeT'AO Ch'ien. Thoughnone is completeand thereis no guaranteeof the authenticityof any of them,theywillserveto document the tradition in which he clearly states he is writing. I am putting them in chronological sequence. Stabilizingthe Passions'
CHANGHeng (78-139)
Fragments of these two fu by CHANG Heng and Ts'AI Yung
Ah, the chaste beautyof this alluring woman!6

abbreviated I referto othercollectionsin this seriesunder the following titles: Ch'iian Han wen: CHW; Ch'iian San-kuo wen: CSKIV; Ch'uan Chin wen: CCW; Ch'iian Sung wen: CSW. For Wen hsAian(SPTK ed.), I am using WII, and YTHY for Yil-t'ai hsing-yung. in a part of his fu "Meditation on CHANG Heng dealt with erotic themeselsewhere, of which a fragMystery" gtM (WVH15.17a-b) and his "Seven Stimuli" -&, ment is quoted in CHHIW 55.2b-3a. In the latter he was of course followingthe conventionestablishedin MEI Sheng's "Seven Stimuli,"where all the pleasures of the fleshare elaboratelydescribedto distractthe ailing prince. 6 This is the stock openingline of these fu, and for convenience I shall bring them all togetherhere, taking the phraseologyof CHANG Heng as the standard. Thus, a bar indicates the same characterin the-corresponding position of CHANGHenlg'sline. I JM CHANG Af pi 4* Heng SUNGYii (WH 19.9b) If$I I
4J4). f> J~ >
Fi2;p
( Ch'iianHou-Han wen (CHHW) 053.9b
S1
fif
I I
|I|
SE
I Q* I II
-;XX
Q ]
I I I
I
I X$ I +
'
I I XEK
I I kG
I 1wK
I
JIUAN YU (CIHHW93.1a)
Ts'AI Yung (CHHW 69.4b)
i74
WANG Ts'an (CHIIW 90.2b) YING Yanig (CHHW 42.1b) Ts'AO Chih (CSKW 13.4a) T'AO Ch'ien (Works 5.5a) YANGHSiU (CHHW 51.1a) CHANG Hua (CCW 58.1a)
171
face. charmsand blooming She shineswithflowery She is unique amongall her contemporaries a peer amonghercomrades. She is without The Complaint: 5 Antares'raysdecline,7 insectssingin thegrass, Deep frostfalls,vegetationwithers; Autumnis the season,the timeis past: I am distraught as I thinkof the lovelyone.8 I imagineI mightbe the powderon yourface 10 But 9 once soiled by dust its radianceis gone." The title" Quietingthe Passions " WR does not occur among of fu by TS'AI Yung, but there are a the survivingfragments one called " CurbingExcess" Wt dealcouple of passages from thisis the one T'AO Ch'ien ingwiththe same subject. Presumably was referring to."1
" "**4 to be related to SUNG Yii'S " Goddess
)I(jAM: cf. Shih chingNo. 154: t-JI 6k "In the seventh month there is " (B. KARLGREN,The Book of Odes 99). the decliningFire-star 8 These lines are from I-wen lei-chi i (IWLC) 18.13a. The verses beginningwith the "complaint" are probably out of proper context. The tone is that of some of the sao poems, especially the firstof the "Nine Persuasions" IL 4 (Ch'u tz'u 8.1b-3b SPTK ed.). One of the "Nine Declarations" )JL?' is called ,W)t (CT 4.28a-31b). 9 ,,: literally" I am grievedthat. 10These two lines are twice quoted by Li Shan in his commentary on WH 19.16b, 34.29a. It is probable that the conceit was further developed in the lost parts of this fu; cf. T'AO Ch'ien's version. I JWLC 18.13a and T'ai-p'ing yii-lan (TPYL) 380.6b quote nine lines froma fu J which appears t9 by Ts'AI Yung a N "On Composingthe Original[Nature?]"
When she is nearby She resemblesthe supernatural dragon with shining scales about to fly. When she has gone afar She is like the SpinningGirl in the Milky Way swept by clouds. When she stands She is like Green Mountain risingmajestically. When she moves She is like the kingfisher beatinghis wings (cf. " The Goddess" 1. 29);
172
JAMES ROBERTHIGHTOWER
Excess12 Curbing
Ts'AI Yung (132-192) Ah, this lovelywomanof alluring charms! Her faceis radiantand filled withcolor. Withinall Heaven's bounds she has no equal, Throughout a thousandyearsshe is unique.13 5 My heartrejoicesin her chaste beauty And I am bound to herin unrequited love. My feelings are withoutformand have no master. My thoughts are undecidedand swerveto one side. By day I give reignto my feelings to displaymy love. 10 By nightI dependon dreamsto bringour souls together."4 I imagine being the vibrating reed15 in yourmouth,
But the notes are solitary 16 and not worth listening to.'7 Putting a Stop to Desires JUANYU (?-212) Ah, the exquisite beauty of this virtuous woman! Her face glows with radiance.19
18
In a thousandgenerations she has no peer, Surpassingancientand modern, she shinesalone.??

Amona all the flaming beauties she has no master. Her face is like the brightmoon, Her radiance is like the morning sun; Her beauty is like the lotus flower, Her fleshlike congealed honey.
ff)t: Cf. CHANG
12CHHW 69.4a.
13
14 Quoted
Heng, lines 3-4:gryjW
3i
in IWLC 18.13a-b. ;is an inversion;cf. Lu Yiin's " Poem on Behalf of Ku Yen-hsien's A+Wife" (TVII 25.5a): 1I. e., unaccompanied. f 17 These two lines are from Pez-t'ang W n , s`u-ch'ao (PTSC) 110.5b. Cf. CHANG '7 Heng, lines 10-11: ,
1,5
18 19
0A
t0t,CHHW
+05I@
20 M::
g E, ;fflf"
'
: cf.Ts'AI Yung,line2: cf. note 13.
93.1a-b.
THE FU OF T'AO CH'1EN
173
flush of youth 5 Justnow in the first She is both wise and complaisant. purity virtueof perfect Endowed withthe bright by properconduct. She protectsherself her lifeto do the rightthing She would sacrifice 10 And so is preparedto emulate Chen-chiang.2 beauty, My heart delightsin her perfect her. Not fora momentdo I ever forget in the " T'ao-yao " poem22 the celebrated think marriage of I And wish forthe sharedgarmentof the " Wu-i." 23 are all tangledand will not relax. 15 My feelings My soul soars away nine timesin one night.24 I leave my roomand stand uncertain, 25 I look at the Heavenly River withouta bridge; I sympathize with the Gourd whichlacks a mate,26 20 I mournforthe SpinningGirlwho toils alone.27 Then I return to my pillowto seek sleep a dreamour souls may meet.28 That through it is hard to findhers, My soul is muddled,
her room with an emissarysent by the King to warn ;her of a flood because he had forgotten the proper credentials. She chose to remainwhere she was and be drowned ratherthan violate an agreementshe had made. The story appears in Lieh nii chuan 4.16b. (SPTK ed.). 22Shih ching No. 6/1: , "This young lady goes to her new home. She will order well her chamberand house" (KARLGREN, op. cit., 4). ' "How can you say you have no 28Shih chingNo. 133/3: h. A ,A, H will share skirt with clothes? I my you" (KARLGREN, op. cit., 86).
24 -_
21 Chen-chiang -A
was the wifeof King Chao of Ch'u who refused to leave
(CT 4.21b), SSU-MIA Ch'ien's "Letter to Jen An" (WH 41.26b), as well as in two other fu of the present series (YING Yang, line 40, T'AO Ch'ien, line 35), with only minor variants. The "nine " is of course a " complete" number: " any number of times." 26 J.e., the Milky Way; a reference to the SpinningGirl legend. Literallyit is a ford which is lacking. 28 The Gourd is a star. TS'AO Chih in his fu "The Spirit of the Lo River" (WH likewiseWANG Ts'an in his 19.18b) also bemoans its solitarystate: R.% ;L$ftfi; fu "Climbing the Pavilion" Z$d (WH 11.3a-b): ;t 21 See note 25. The Spinning Girl is ubiquitous in Chinese poetry from the Shih ching (No. 9203/5)on. 28 v iIZl: cf. TS'AI Yung,line 10: t fP ,; .
-ffit L.
This common occursin "The Nine Declarations" expression
fjj
174
are tangledand confused. My thoughts 25 At last the nightis past, nor have I seen her; The risingsun in the east marksthe dawn. I knowI will not get her forwhomI long this.29 in writing And so I controlmy feelings I stop and stretch my head to see into the distance Hoping it may be she,but stillit is not.30 StillingEvil Passions 3 WANG Ts'an (177-217) Ah, this beautifulwoman of bloomingloveliness! Her form is trulylovelyand of rarebeauty. Nowherewithinthe fourseas has she an equal, Surpassingall ages she stands out pre-eminent.32 5 She resembles the springflowers of the t'ang-titree.33 In her youngmaturity she stays at home.34 to a close, I regret that the yearis drawing Grievedto be alone withno one to relyon. and at cross-purposes, are conflicting My feelings are melancholy and most grieved.35 10 My thoughts
IWLC 18.14a. Repeatedly quoted in Li Shan's 1V11 commentary:926.15a,29.30a, 58.7a. The twenty-eight lines quoted in IWLC seem to make a satisfactory poem which contains most of the stock elementsof these fu, and there is no place in its rhyme-scheme to admit this couplet. Of course twenty-eight lines is very short for a fu, and there is room for a long digression (after line 16, where the rhyme changes) of which this
29From
30
couplet couldwellbe a part. I have translated the ambiguous ;p --^JJffi as a reference to the ;If[ | of Han Wu-ti; cf.Han shu 97A.14a (T'ung-wen ed.). 31 3i The titleis from theI ching. I$lJR, CHHW 90.92b. S2 L,-A M 9i2&Rb I?4 :cf. notes 13, 920.
334:
also a flowering tree. Cf.thestanzaquotedin Analects 9/30| | Z4,0fIg J"WOf, of the wildcherry, " The flowery branch it ;M, iL tEljjajJ / How swiftly
variously identified as a kind of plum and as the amelanchierasiatica,
fliesback! / It is not that I do not love you; / But your house is far away " (WALEY, The Analects of Confucius145). 3'. e., unmarried. The ju-sheng rhymesend here, and I suspect there is a hiatus in the text. The unannouncedchange of subject in the next line is otherwiserather abrupt. cf. TS'AI lines 7-8: Yung, A ; also JUAN Yii, lines 15, 24: FI., fi AEj XZ 'Afh
86;gt ; Z
IS f
I r
175
How miserablemy lifeis fated to beand thwarted. My love frustrated I crossmy emptyroomand go to my bed,3" Intendingour souls should meet in a dream.37 15 My eyes are wakeful, I cannotsleep,38 My heart is miserableand uneasy.39 Mountains lie ahead of me and the way is obstructed.4" I wouldliketo be the braceletthat bindsyourarm.4
thePassions Rectifying 42
YING
Yang (?-217)
Ah, the unusual beauty of this lovelywoman! Complaisantshe is, and wiselyunderstanding. In responseto supernatural harmony her substancewas formed: She embodiesthe lushbeautyoftheorchidand the purity of jasper. 5 Among[beautiesof]past timerarely equaled, In presenttimenone can comparewithher.43 Like the far-reaching raysemitted by the morning sun 44 The clear glance pours out fromher eyes. In her bloomingbeauty she crownsour time 10 And is just as virtuous as that womanof Shen.45
lit., " a mat," but used for a bed. cf. note 28. 0 XMX fi4 -: cf. "The Distant Wandering" 88 also Shih chingNo. 26/1: WJf6 9 To here quoted in IWLC 18.14b. 40 From Li Shan's com. on WH 26.10a. : fromPTSC 136.8a, with ) for 41 iA>WV lJ;JTJ is rightin calling it a misprint.Cf. note 17. 42 , CHHW 42.1b-2a. iJIrMg, g:
97 tffip1Xt
'
A*J"*
. $
R (CT 5.1b):
in the title. YEN K'o-chun
the trope is actually more violent: "She emits the farsun." Whetherthis is the radiance of her beauty or the reachingrays of the morning of her glance (as I have taken it) is not clear. effect 46 The " Woman of Shen " E* * refusedto marry the man she was eligaged to
44
49
tt;>,ftt>W+Xt>#IJ:
cf. notes13, 20, 32.
176
In nmy heartI rejoice in that rare beauty46 And longforthe joy of beingjoined withher,but thereis no way.47 Overwhelmed by thefragrant beautyofhermodestdemeanor dance around this woman. My feelings wandering, 15 My soul flutters and goes on its nightly I rejoicethat our spirits may be unitedin a commondream.48 In daytimeI lingerhesitantby the roadside, At nightI toss restlessuntilthe dawn.49 A cool windblowsfrom the northacrossthe darkwall 50 20 A cold breeze crossesthe middlecourt.5' I hear the highcryof the wild goose in the clouds, I view the sparkling rays of the massed constellations. The lightof the SouthernStar descendslike lightning,52 The lonelymale birdfliesswiftly and alone. 25 I hoped [thebird]mightlowerits head to send me word, Alas [the star] speeds past and cannot be overtaken. It grievesme that the passingbird has no mate,54 I am sorry that the flowing lightcannotbe stayed.
5
River":
48
because the ritual preparationswere imperfect.The Shih ching poem (No. 17) is supposed to expressher resolution.Cf. Lieh niuchuan 4.1b-2a. cf. TS'AI Yung, line 5: ' 46 *j6ffitX: Cf. Ts'AO Chih's "Spirit of the Lo ).WftfiJ*R: i. e., no intermediary.
line19:
cf.note38. @ of thisterm. occurrence no other can find 61 The textseems forJff does not rhyme witheither at thispoint, to be defective but theterm -ei rhymes. -n or the following T'angmaybe a misprint, thepreceeding " 7Mi,I; cf. CHHW 42.4a. tp I occurs in another of YINGYang's fu,"The Willow the way to the southis open;cf.Shih chi 27.9a Star appears, 5When the Southern (T'ung-wened.), SSU-MA Chen's com. (11EA). Perhaps the same idea as in Tu Fu's for sure " The Southern rays] fallin theold garden.I know poem (Of ji): Star['s he willmeet . . ." (Works 19.15b, SPTK ed.). a misprint. IWLC writes :, '3 For for{j^; cf. JUAN YU, has {E . m is a misprint ft IHWLC ?jt2t 3P: for 6'
49 60t
28, 37. tMff~Joi4:cf.notes

R
% lMJ8
(WH 19.17b).
~J~:I
% a; tA.

5 is just now past, Too bad the luckyconjunction desires are all thwarted. that my 30 I regret I pace undecided,lost in thought, are pained and distressed.56 My feelings to my lonelyroom and go to bed without I return
177
beingable to rest. without I keep tossingand turning 35 My soul fliesafar,sinkingand soaring, on herin whomI rejoice.58 dwelling Constantly I look up at the highbuilding and sighlong moan escapes me. Moved by sad echoes,a lingering 60 leaps up to the cloud-house floating, My breath, My bowelsin one eveningburnnine times.6' beforeher mirror to be the bright I imaginemyself But once gone. ...62
5
17 undressing
" For fR cf. Tso chuan (Hsi 5): I-ftM I |: " [The star] Wei of the [constellation] Dragon lies hid in the conjunctionof the sun and the moon" (LEGGE 146). This is cited as a good omen, and I have paraphrasedfit ch'en as "lucky conjunction." " Lines 21-32 depend for their effecton an elaborate structureand an involved froman absent friend symbolism.The wild goose is the traditionalbearerof a miiessage in the "Li sao." A solitarybird is or lover, and a bird is a symbolicalintermediary to marrythe in his effort the poet frustrated one withouta mate, and so represents beautifulwoman. Stars are inaccessible,and so a symbol for the unattainable loved one; they also mark the passage of time. Time appears in two aspects: the poet grows old and there is no end to his sorrow; also, the fleetingopportunitypasses irrevocably. These themes are interwoven. Lines 21-24 involve a sort of chiasmus, bird-star: the second gives promiseof transient couplet impliesinaccessibility, star-bird.The first the symbolsinto a new sequence, bird-star:bird-star, opportunity.Lines 25-28 shuffle has passed. Lines 29-30 lament passing time and lost and assert that the opportunity state of mind. opportunity, while 31-32 deal with the resulting 57For 4$m cf. Shih ching No. 197/2. as in CH'EN Lin, line 24. '5For)j f read| occurs as the name of a temple, but here it should be the name of a G9 constellation, thoughI can findno supportforthat interpretation. 60 @2g, parallel to ch'ung hsia (see note 59), is analogous to j , in the Chieh-y0i =L L PAN'S fu "Lament for Herself T[ (CHW 11.7a). : cf. note 24. This much is quoted in IWLC 18.14b-15a. '1 gi-4'ifji)L 62 Elst RIJ "" X acouplet from PTSC 136.2a is . . . . This t+" lackingone word. Cf. notes 22, 46.
12
178
Putting a Stop to Desires 63

CH'EN Lin (?-217)
Lovely! the surpassing womanwholives to the east ofnmy house.64 Her beauty outshines the spring flowers, Her charmssurpassthoseof the womanin the " Shih-jen" In antiquitytherewerefewto equal her 5 Today she is indeedwithout match.66 Truly she is one to benefit a state or bringorderto a household, Indeed a propermate fora prince.67 How myfeelings do take delight in her! My desiresare overflowing and uncontrolled. 10 At nightI am restlessand unable to sleep,68 By day I push aside my food,forgetting hunger. I am movedat the " If you love me " ofthe " Pei-feng"poem, And admirethe goinghomehand in hand.69 May the sun and moonmove slowlyon theircourses70
LiP, CHHW 92.1a-b. Both " The Lechery of Master Teng-t'u" (WH 19.12b) and " The Handsome Man" (Ku wen yian, [SPTK ed.] 3.11b) locate the beautifulseductressin the house next door to the east. Cf. also Mencius 6B/1: " Would you climb over the wall of the house next door to the east and abduct the virginliving there?"
63 64 65
poem.65
No. 57/2: Shihching
66
68
cf. notes 38, 49. IRMOJ? X For JAread 4t withIWLC. The " Pei feng" poem is Shih chingNo. 41: and love me, I will hold your hand and 4 ,t&I-IJ] g "If you are affectionate go home with you" (KARLGREN, op. cit., 27). (CT 1.7a). I do not cf. "Li sao,' line 9: L tVFi X 70tH2 understandthe hu.
60
)Ditii'4t3fS, !i12St~1 I: cf.notes13, 20, 32, 43. t1 Tktk& : cf. Shih chingNo. 189/5: tJ44! .
Her hands like tender shoots, Her skin like congealed lard, Her neck like insect larvae, Her teeth like melon seeds; Cicada head, moth eyebrows. Her artfulsmile is red, Her lovely eyes clear and black.
179
sprouts.7" poplarmay put forth 15 So that the leafless I wouldliketo speak to the swallow, up and down."2 But the swallowfliesaway,darting the road is blocked,73 The way is distant, The River is broad and deep, thereis no bridge.74 to advance, 20 I stand on tiptoe,wishing But it is not a riverthan can be crossedon a reed."5 I loosen the reinsand go back home, Filled withgrief, I go to my couch. I close my eyes,76and seem at once Withoutundressing to sleep, towardme. 25 I dreamthat I see herin whomI rejoicewalking love, My soul floatsaway to myfar-off mingled."" As thoughwe wereunitedand our spirits StillingThoughtsof Love 71 Ts'AO Chih (192-232) woman! Ah,the elegantcharmsof this beautiful
71
an old man gets his bride." 72 This couplet, quoted by Li Shan (WH 31.12a) is inserted here by YEN K'o-chiin. It would fit the rhyme-scheme better if it followed line 10 ( j& rhymes), but it makes a little better sense in the present context. The idea of a bird intermediary goes back to the " Li sao "; in these poems it is usually the wild goose (cf. YING Yang, line 25) or the phoenix (T'AO Ch'ien, line 31), and the term -2,4-; has been identified withall threebirds. For the swallowanidmarriage, cf. Li chi (SPTK ed.) 5.4b: ij .J : cf. WANG Ts'an, line 17: 73 l; also " The Nine j'jJ12 ij4 Persuasions" (CT 8.11a): . TW 74 j Mf : cf. ibid., (CT 8.8a): W f Uff; also the "Lament for the Untimely Fate " (CT 14.2a): 75 P fif4Jie: cf. Shih ching No. 61/1: "Who rj ;/ says the River is broad? A single reed crosses it." This is a frequent source of allusion,e. g., IHsi K'ang's " Verses for his Elder Brother,"No. 9, Hsi Chung-sanchi 1.2b (SPTK ed.). 71 have translated IIMas analogous to the chia mei of note 57. : cf. YING Yang, line 15: jJ a TTxt6glg 'M 5i M, and notes 28, 37, 48. Except forlines 15-16 (note 72) this passage is fromITVLC 18.13b.
28 (JL-):
I.e., that the poet may still in his old age get a young bride; cf. I ching No.
i#0t
,*i4Hjz
"The leafless poplarputs forth sprouts;
PA
180
Her rosyface shineswithlimpidlight. and unique,she is without a peer,79 Surpassing in truth, none can equal her. So outstanding, and intelligent 80 5 By natureperspicacious
In conduct 81 and charming. gracious
10
I hide wherethe highpeak obscuresthe sun, I stand besidethe pure current of the limpidstream. The autumnwindrisesin the woods,82 Lost birdscryas theyseek theirmates. is thegreater, Melancholyand laden withgrief, mysorrow How can I go on likethis?83
This by no means exhauststhe list of fu written beforeT'Ao Ch'ien's timeon the subject of stilling the passions,but no more than the titlesand a lineor two surviveof Fu Hsiian's " Straightening the Passions,"84 CH'ENG-KUNG Sui's " Assuagingthe Pas86 P'o Ch'in's sions, 85 orYPAN Shu's" Rectifying thePassions." Sorrowto an End 87 is not dissimilar, but followsa Bringing slightlydifferent patternin the twenty-six lines which survive, and the same is true forthe twenty-three lines of CHANG Hua's " Eternal Love," 88 while Juan Ch'i's "Purifying Thoughts of Love " is an effective parodyofthe wholeidea."sa
.8
; ,E.!
CSKW 13.4a. cf. notes 13, 20, 32, 43, 66.
TT) 1967. 82 r4 takes on no especial overtones from its three Shih ching occurrences. " in HlSIEH T'iao's poem ( -,-J'S Perhaps the associationwith " springfeelings ) is relevent (Ku shih yiian 12.5a, SPPY ed.): . 83 From IWLC 18.15a-b. 84 f^i (217-278), ,'I'r CCW 45.4b.
85 88
with s i I cf.JUAN YUi,line 6: ijtffPaP 81 4W in 4)"is to be equated The word elsewhere. is not attested fj; cf. CHU Ch'i-feng,Tz'u t'ung (abbreviated the similarexpressions01 80 J[t%,n
79-8 tMUXE
(408-453), iEl['r CSIV 44.1a-b. 87 k (?-218), qffJ, CHHW 92.8a-b. P'o Ch'in also wrote a shih "Settling the Passions" 'W (Ch'iian San-kuo shih 3.13a-b). 88 , (232-300), 7I'If CCW 88.1a-b.
88 a
i09
(231-273), pAF CCW 59.4a.
jWJU%
of "If the myriad phenomena CSKW 44.10a-llb. It concludes,
181
So farI have yet to quote an integral specimenof a fu on this subject, but already its wholly conventionalnature should be apparent. As one reads T'AO Ch'ien's version, the impression of deja vue growswitheach couplet. It is perhapsgoingtoo far-to imaginethat everyline had its prototype in the original complete texts of those fu whichtime has mercifully destroyedor leftin but surelyT'AO Ch'ien was not striving hackneyedfragments, fororiginality in his version.89 Stillingthe Passions Ah, the preciousrare and lovely form She stands out unique in all the age.90 Thoughhersis a beautythat would overthrow a city91 She intendsto be knownforher virtue. 5 In purityshe rivals her soundingpendant jades 92 In fragrance she vies withthe hiddenorchid.93 94 amongthe vulgar She disownstenderfeelings And carriesher principles amongthe highclouds. 95 She grieves that the morning sun declinesto evening 10 That human lifeis a continualstriving.96 All alike die withina hundred years
with?"
8
the world do not entangle one's heart,/How is a single female worth beiingin love
i 2 X+L
would overthrow a city,A second glance would overthrow a state " (Han shu 97A.13a). 92 Themselvesa symbol of purity;cf. Li chi 9.9a. 3 The 1 also symbolizes purity; cf. "Li sao," lines105,136. 94 For f_pk cf. CHANG Hua's fu 7jCJ, line 4: ' | | "In her heart she has the tender feelingsof a well brought-upyoung lady " (Li chi 8.26a); cf. also Ts'AO Chih's " Spiritof the Lo River ": | (WH 19.16b). 9 Obsession with the passage of time is characteristic of these fu; cf. CHANG Heng, lines 6-9; WANG Ts'an, line 7; YING Yang, line 28; CH'EN Lin, line 14; and note 20. It goes back to the " Li sao."
CHANG and Marjorie SINCLAIR, "Ode to Beauty," op. cit., 113-16. 90'IO cf. notes 13, 20, 32, 43, 66, 79. ir t, 3 91A reference to Li Yen-nien's song: -ffi9A.JA 4)ffiflAAJ
Works 5.5a-7a. Previous translationsof this fu are: Anna BERNHARDI, " Grosse Ode zur Beruhigungder Leidenschaften," MSOS 15 (1912).105-9. LIN Yutang, " Ode to Beauty," A Nun of Taishan and other Translations (Shanghai, The Commercial Press, 1936) 240-6. Dryden Linsley PHELPS and Mary Katherine WVILLMOTT, " Ode to Restrain the Passions by T'AO Ch'ien," Studia Serica 7(1948).55-62. Lily Pao-hu
&
A12
J "One
glance
182
How few our joys, the sorrowshow many! She raisesthe red curtain and sits straight, Lightlyplayingthe clear-sounding citherto expressher
9
15 She plays a lovelymelodywithherslender fingers, As herwhitesleevessweep and sway in time. her lovelysparkling A swiftglance from eyesUncertainwhether to speak or smile.99 The melodyis half played through 20 And the sun is sinking at the western window. The sad autumnmode "Oechoesthrough the woods And whiteclouds clingto the mountain. She glancesup at Heaven's road,10' She looks down and tightens the strings. 25 In spiritand behaviorshe is charming, Her attitudesare altogether lovely.102
" line 10: a I (CT 5.2a). -0 cf. The Distant Wandering," 97Cf. CHANG Hua's poem @ M (Ch'iian Chin shih 2.4a): IEJ g "Red curtainscoveringlike clouds." These are a part of the furnishings of an emperor's boat. i (Yiu-t'ai hsin-yung2.10b): 4t 98 Cf. CHANG Hua's "Love Poem ' J\,+M",,% "In the norththere is a beautifulwoman,/Who sits straightas she plays her soundinglute." On the proper attitude for playing the lute cf. R. VAN GULIK, "The Lore of the Chinese Lute," MN 2(1939) .90, 93. By analogy the cither (se) is to be played with the same formality. V?I"i,i idThY. T'AO Chu has K for fEI presumably because of the Shih ching line -fi34 / (No. 57/2). However,liu mien is a cliche in similar contexts; e. g., CHANG Heng's " Seven Stimuli" (CHHTW 53.3a): j For parallels to this couplet cf. "The Lechery of Master Teng-t'u": Chi's " Sorrowful i I (WH 19.14a); JUAN Songs " No. 2: (YTIIY 2.7b). The pu fen is not clear. Seitan (Kokuyaku kambuntaisci _5t 25: 18.264) suggests i "is not angry." 100 The shang j mode corresponds to autumn: ...Z| (Li chi i , 5.14b). Cf. P'AN YO'S "Lament for a Dead Friend" No. 2: , (YTHY 2.13b): "The clear shang mode is in consonancewith the autumn season." X f in the many examples cited in P'ei-wen yiin-fu (PWYF) means either "the road to Heaven " or " the Way of Heaven " (XR-6). In T'AO'S poem " The Homing Bird " ,p (Works 1.17a) the term occurs as " a path throughthe sky" which the bird followsas it navigates throughthe clouds. 9a
feelings.98
REX 9
I02
g?44jf
cf.TS'AOChih,line6: 4
ITfJAX31.
183
I am moved as she quickensthe clear notes' tempo And wishto speak withher,knee to knee. I would go in personto exchangevows, 30 But I fearto transgress against the rites. I wouldwait forthephoenixto conveymyproposal103 But I worry that anotherwill anticipateme.'04 My soul in an instantis ninetimestransported.'06 35 I would liketo be the collarof yourdress107 And breathe the lingering of your flowerfragrance adornedhair.108 But 109 at nightyou take your silkendressoffHow hatefulautumnnightsthat neverend. I wouldliketo be the girdleofyourskirt 40 And bind the modestslenderbody. But as weatherchanges,cool or warm The old is cast aside, the new put on. I would like to be the gloss on yourhair As you brushout the darklocksoverslopingshoulders."10 45 But all too oftenlovelywomenwash theirhair
As in the " Li sao," line 122. Cf. note 47. ("Li @)f11A} . Yuan wassimilarly CHi'fCU concerned: , sao," line 122). The line also appears in Lu Chi's fu "On Literature,"with )DI for
103
In uncertainty ofmind and discomposure

lOa
104
k'ung.
105
Cf. rWANGTs'an, line 10.

s
106 107
would like to be on your dress,specifically the collar." This same formulais continuedin the following stanzas. Cf. notes 17, 41, 62. 105 means "white hair," but obviously another sense is demanded ordinarily 1)X the presentcontext. Seitan, op. cit., 267, understanids "flower-like face " (V LD 4iH suggests"hair" as more t?J); likewiseCHU Ch'i-feng (TT 2811), but the t likely. 100 "4t alas." Here and in the following I have reduced the stock lamernt to the simple contrast. 1:10i . That sloping shoulderswere already an attributeof feminine beauty is suggestedby the line in Ts'AO Chih's "Spirit of the Lo River": IMMA n ,D,, " Shouldersas thoughfashionedby cutting,a waist as thoughbound by cord" (IVH 19.16a).
fiz7ffjf-fj
>QjjYf}t:jX:
lit., "I
cf.notes24, 61.
184
And it is leftdry111 whenthe waterleaves. I wouldlike to be yourpenciledeyebrow To move gracefully withyoureyes as you glance arounld. But rougeand powdermust be fresh applied112 50 And it is destroyed as you make up yourface anew.l"a I would like to be the reed that makes your mat 114 On whichyou restyourtenderbodyuntilfall. But thena robeoffur 115 will takeitsplace: the mat is used again.16 A year willpass before 55 I wouldliketo be the silkthatmakesyourslipper To press your whitefootwherever you go. But thereis a timeforwalkingand a timeforrest: The shoes alas are thrown beside yourbed.
is ratherviolent for the result of washing,but currentshampoo and hair 1115 tonic advertisements are quite as extremein their warningsof what happens to hair washed too frequently withoutbenefit of theirpanaceas. lit., " one esteemsfreshness [in makeup]." Cf. " A Mistress to Her Lover" j,f^ Z#EEXBJk' by Liu Hsiao-ch'o JIJ!t9& (cited in IJWLC 18.8a; cf. Ch'iian Liany
112
shih10.19b):
"3
J;),. yearsof theYungt . "Duringtheten-odd F1 g and young men and womenwere prosperous. mingperiod (483-94), the citiesflourished made up, hundreds Singingand dancing,dressedin theirbest and with faces carefully of them disportedthemselvesamong flowering peach trees or by the clear streams, under the autumn moon or in the springbreeze." 114 )& 4EfjiAJ$ ~ Perhaps this is borrowed from CHANG Heng's "Song of E IJ-t "I imagine (YTIIY 1.Ila): .W gJjf, Harmony" myis self to be the reed mat/ Covering tho soft bed beneath you." But here a wonman speaking. 4 J cf. Shih ching No. 128/1: I 115 For and pro"Striped floor-mats " (KARLGREN, op. cit. 82). In the presentcontexttherecan be no trudingwheel-naves in a carriage. Cf. the similar use in the CHANG Hua poem question of a floor-mat quoted in note 97. "' ,* lit., "be sought out."
A tf f"J.7XZ rFU,f* X.?Rt
7tUc,t*,E+ffi
4~j~
Afterlyinglong abed I suspect my makeup is gone And I steal a glance at myselfin the mirror; My thin-penciled eyebrowshave just about disappeared And of the rouge only half remains. is makeup fora festiveoccasion; cf. Nan Ch'i shu (T'ung wen ed.) 53.1b:
...
3:>UQ
4 , fi,4f PIR, Y,EeXt
A a I IV E
4f
185
I wouldlike to be yourdaytimeshadow 60 To cleave to yourbody always,to go east or west. But tall treesmake so much shade At times,I fear,we could not be together.117
candle I would like to be yournighttime To shineon yourjade-likeface in yourroom118 rays119 of the risingsun 120 65 But withthe spreading eclipsed. My lightat once goes out, my brilliance I would like to be the bamboo that makes yourfan yourtenderhand. To dispensea coolingbreeze from But mornings whenthe whitedew falls tree I wouldliketo be the wood ofthewu-t'ung lute you hold on yourknees To make the singing But music,like joy, whenmost intenseturnssad 122
"' The shadow-lover conceit appears in a poem attributedto Fu isisuan (217-78) in YTIIY 9.8a, but to CH'E Ts'ao 4-{. (Liang dynasty) in Yileh-fushih-chi69.1a, so it is not certainwhetherthe conceit is earlierthan T'AO Ch'ien. The relevantlines a yiieh-fu of the poem ( i1{i-, title) are (in the YTHY text):
afar. 121 from 70 I mustlookat yoursleeve
followsyour body,/But when you are in the shade your shadow disappears. / That you stay in the light is what I wish." in ritual contexts (Li chi 2.10b, 19.1b) where 118 Besides the occurrence of j4 it means " two pillars"-presumably of the main hall-the expressionturns up in (YTHY 2.4a): , qi one of Ts'AO Chih's untitledpoems ipzj I I " I take up my clothes and go out of the small gate,/ And walk idly betweenthe two pillars." The "two pillars" seem to be outside, but in T'AO Ch'ien's fu the context calls for an interiorscene, specificallya bedroom, though I can find no supportforsuch a metonymy.
"l
4,
+,sg>fiQ
tti+
Xfi,
that "I wouldlike to be the shadow
the full moon spreadingits rays." is metonoymy for " risingsunl"; the sun rises fromthe fit-sang 20; R tree. 121 Where a fan is kept inlhot weather. Fu Hsuian's yiieh-fuH0)r 1224tg288a1agcf. (YTHY 2.9b) : Q.S> "Sorrow and joy are close connected, / When joy is most t g;R;MM g initenseone turns sad." The idea is an old one and is quoted as a "saying" in Shih chi 126.3a: iNWH'JIL MikJRi . The pun on music/ joy is also well ,9 in Hsiian-tzu14.1a (SPTK ed.): established;cf. the punningdefinition
For rf3j cf. "The Goddess" (WH 19.9a):
f JJ11|
| "Brightas
-42 ri
"Music is joy."
186
And in the end I am pushed aside as you play no more. 75 Put to the test my wishesare all frustrated And I feelonlythe desolationof a bitterheart. Overcomewithsadness,and no one to confide in, I idly walk to the southern wood.124 I restwherethe dew stillhangson the magnolia125 80 And take shelterunder the lingering shadows of the greenpines. On the chance I shouldsee her as I walk I am tornin my breastbetweenhope and fear. To the end all is desolate,no one appears126 Left alone withrestless thoughts, vainlyseeking. 85 Smoothing my lightlapel 127 J return to the path Continually sighing as I watch the settingsun. With steps uncertain, destination forgotten Dejected in bearing,face filledwithgrief. Leaves leave the branchand flutter down129 90 The air is bitingas cold comes on. The sun disappearsbearingits rays
123 128
12
124 ch'un-ch'iu9.43a (SPTK ed.) as the name of a place #j occurs in WVu-Yiieh where a maiden lives who is an expert with the sword and lance. Usually it is a northerngrove 4t I in contexts like the present one; e. g., Ts'AO Chih's yileh-fu 'f 1 4Li4Z"Going outside where shall ;,pi (YTI Y 2.5a): I look?/ I walk uncertainly toward the northern grove." 122 gg?"n>-12Ag cf. "Li sao," line 33 (CT 1.12b) i.JR*!tS " MorningsI sip the dew hangingfromthe orchids." cf."The DistantWandering" 126 (CT 5.7a): ,iA ZIA " The plain is desolate, no one there." 127 I am not sure what the significance of this gestureis. tOK usually occurs in contextswhere the ch'ing has immediaterelevance,as a light garmentblown by the breeze (e. g., Ts'AO Chih, * , YTHY 2.4b). Here it could be intendedto suggest poverty-a light garmentwhen the season requires a warm one, but the similar use of the whole expression Z in a fu " AutumnSorrow" bkf hy CH'U Yuan 4j{J (Ch'iian Ch'i wen 14.1b) suggeststha.tthe ch'ing is simplya part of a cliche,and the gestureitselfis equivalent to " with what composureI could summon." 128 ?LR: cf.YING Yang,line31: 999tV A,>.
line 12:
j,fijfiff i4fi
R. 8 X * jft
cf. YING Yang, line 30:
?i
iS;
WANG TS'an,
129
't
(WH 31.22b):
occurs in a similar context in oneofCHIANG Yen's untitled poems R
| | yg
CHU Ch'i-feng(TT 2767) lists a groupof similarbinoms.
187
The moon adornsthe cloud fringes withlight. With sad criesthe solitarybirdflieshome,130 Seekingits mate an animalpasses and does not return. 95 I am sorrythat the presentyear is in its decline I regret that this year drawsto a close.131 Hoping to follow her in my nighttime dream,132 My soul is agitatedand findsno rest;133 Like a boatmanwho has lost his oar, 100 Like a cliff-scaler who findsno handhold. Just now The winter 134 shineat my window constellations The northwind blows chill. I am agitatedand unable to sleep,133 Obsessedby a hostoffancies. 105 I rise and tie my sash to await the morning, Deep frostglistenson the whitesteps.'36 The cock foldshis wingsand has yet to crow While fromafar floatsthe shrillsad note of a flute. At first a harmony of delicatestrains, 110 At last it becomespenetrating and sad.'37
R30,4"
131 132 ,t+2Sg %gg:
lency Hsieh's MountainPavilion" * 514I

Po-yui wen chi [SPTK ed.] 7.13b).
cf. notes 28, 37, 48, 77. " + T X IRJ ifjf>f%: cf.YINGYang,lines34-5: ; also note 77. 134 $. and X7p are two fall and winterconstellations(Hyades and Pleiades) which of a Banquet at His Excelrise toward dawn; cf. CH'EN Tzu-ang, " Commemoration
133j$g$fR
,RffiAta:
cf.Ts'AO Chih,line 10 and note54. cf. WANG Ts'an, line7: 't+Z:yg.
I fiI
135
Cf. also
SSU-MA
Fate" &E#f (CT 14.1b): Uuitimely For the variant orthogra. phies of the binom,cf. TT 1555. 136 Cf. CHANG Heng, line 6. 137 . This alliterativebinom (anc. dz'&ng dz'u&i) is used as an onomatopoeia for sad sounds (g'af"iij I |, of the fullingblock in FEI Ch'ang's ftTftJ poem in YTHY 6.10a). The same charactersin reverseorder occur frequently for sad animal cries (e. g., the crane in CHIANG Hung's poem in Ch'ilan Liang shih 12.11b; the horse " Poem forCHIAOChung-ch'ing's in the anonymous Wife" YTHY 1.19b), and probably forman equivalent term.
jI"j
4i
(WH 16.14a). cf. notes 38, 68; also
Hsiang-ju's " Ch'ang-men fu
: 3K1i
ffj |
(Ch'en
CHUANG
Chi nLg( "Lament for the
188
I imaginethat it is she playingthere138 Conveyingher love by the passing cloudThe passingcloud departswithnevera word,139 in its passingby.140 It is swift withlonging, 115 Vain it is to grievemyself and crosse(i In the end the way is blockedby mountains rivers.'14 by wind that blows my ties away I welcomethe fresh waves. my weaknessof willto the receding And consign in the Man-ts'ao poem142 I repudiatethe meeting 120 And singthe old songof the Shao-nan.143 I level all cares and clingto integrity,
end.145 144 at the world's Lodgemyaspirations
138 The assumptionthat it is she playing the flute is gratuitouson my part. The line reads 'J2;k&t. in the " Ch'ou ssu" fI,Jg (CT 4.28b): conceitoriginates 139 The "I wish to send word by the floatingcloud." It was used by Hsu Kan in the third (YTIIY 1.14a): of a seriesof untitledpoems j@it7fipEj,%
1 cf. "Li sao," line 9: H )i cf. notes 73, 74. 1s18RI4Rd@ii? e., : cf. Shih ching No. 94: "In the open ground there is the 142I thereis a beautifulperson,the clear forehead dew is plentiful; creepinggrass,the falling how beautiful! We met carefreeand happy, and so my desire was satisfied." (KAaIL(IWLC 18.16a): M F-J Yen's ft "Beauty" Y GREN, op. cit., 61). Cf. CHIANG W
140 4
44WiR.:
cloud! How vast the floating I would like to use it to convey a message. It driftsaway beforeI can send it, I vainly thinkof him in agitation.
The "Shao-nan" is the name of a group of poems (Nos. 12-2a5) in the "Kuo may be to the commentsprovidedby feng" section of the Shih ching. The reference the Preface to the Shih ching on one of these (No. 17): " The mannersof a period and sincerity of decay and disorderwere passinigaway, and the lessons of integrity were rising to influence. Oppressive men could not do violence to well-principled 39). women." (LEGGE, The Chinese Classics 4 [Prolegomena] 144 For j cf. T'AO Ch'ien's poem "An Outing on the Hsieh Stream" (Works I give freerein to my aspirations." [: "The wine half-gone, 2.7b): t 14 /it for the more common |4;" because of the rhyme.
14
189
This fu of T'Ao Ch'ien's is not the last of the series,but there is no point in adding moreto the list.'46 Now it is, or should be, a generalpriniciple ofcriticism that an adequate readingof a poem mustbe based on an understanding of the poet's intentin writing the poem. It has been arguedthat sincethe privatementalstates of the poet are beyondthe reach of the critic, all he has to go by is what he findsin the poem he is immediately concernedwith, whichmust be read and judged as something unique. Whatever the theory, good criticalpracticehas neverso limiteditself. For there are a number of clues to the poet's intent. Sometimes, especiallyin Chinese poetry,the poet providesa prefaceto his poem in whichhe states quite explicitly what he is proposing to do. An intimateknowledgeof the poet's life will oftensuggest attitudesand concernsrelevantto understanding a given poem, thoughsuch information is usually lackingfor Chinesepoets. A poet's own statement of his theoryof the natureand function of poetryis a valuable guide to his practice. But the most generally available of all theseadventitious aids is a knowledge ofthepoetic in whicha poet is writing, tradition and boththe genrehe is using and the subject of his poem should be viewed in the light of tradition. I do notproposehereto tracethe history ofthefu,a sufficiently complexsubjectin itself, but shall pointout a fewfeatures of the formas developedby the Later Han and Six Dynasties periods. " The fu takes its themesfrom HUANG-FU Mi (215-282) said,-47 natural objects, whose aspects and properties are elaborated to the point whereno one can add anything more." This formula accordswell enoughwithactual practice,and applies both to the descriptive to the lyricfu withwhichwe are fu and, by extension, presently concerned. Logically such a definition should exclude the possibility of two fu on the same subject,forone exhaustive treatment hardly leaves room for a second. However. SSU-MA Hsiang-ju early establishedthe precedentof taking up a theme alreadycelebratedin a fu withthe avowed intention of outdoing
146 The most recent seems to be by HSIEH Chi-hsiian S (1134-1173), a fu on "Interdictingthe Passions "4'T; . 17 In his introduction to the "Three Capitals" fu of Tso Ssu ;,, WH 45.40a.
190
the first effort. With the growthof the popularity of the fu this practicewas practicallythe only excuse forwriting fu at all, as writersbecame hard put to find new subjects. By early Six Dynastiestimesnot onlywerethe categories it was not exhausted, easy to thinkof a suitableindividualbird,insect,tree,flower, or householdutensilthat had not been elaboratelydescribedin at least one fu. Thus as timewenton nearlyeverypossiblefusubject came to be treatedin a wholeseriesoffu,each member of a series representing a poet's deliberate attemptto incorporate everything his predecessors had written on the subject. This generalization is subject to the usual reservations, but it does apply as a marked tendency that affected the natureof the fu form.One resultwas the productionof stereotypes:the development of a subject in any seriesfollowsan establishedsequence,and successivefu on that subjectdiffer chiefly in length, thelaterones beingthelonger. In extreme cases even the vocabularyavailable to the writer of a fu on an established themewas to a large degreelimitedto what his predecessors had used, so that the form is markedby cliches. the same timethat the fu was becoming At a stereotyped treatmentof a conventional subject,its metrical at one time structure, quite free,was being reduced to a pattern allowinglittle more variationthan the strictshih form.From its occasionaluse as a rhetorical ornament, parallelism becamemoreand morerigiduntil it was the invariantbasis for the construction of each couplet. These variousfactors combined to make thefu littlemorethan an exercisein versification. It was at once a measure of a poet's erudition and an indexof his skillifhe could writea futo order.148 All of these features are abundantlyillustrated in the seriesof fu on " Stillingthe Passions." Beforeconsidering themin detail, the tradition of the subject itself requiresa brieftreatment.The earliest fu containinga catalogue of feminine charms is " The Goddess" (Shen-niifJ), of pre-Han date if its attribution to
" CHANG Yen, CHANG Shun, and CHU I as youths went to visit CHU Chui,who wished to test them. He said, 'My guests all have to write a fit about some object before they can sit down.' Yen wrote on dogs, Shun on mats, I on bows, each writingabout somethingwhich caught his eye [in the room]. When their fu were finished they were seated." Wen-shith chuan < i t4 quoted in PTSC 102.3b.
191
SUNGYii is accepted.149 None of the Han Dynasty fu on this subject is attested by contemporary mentionor quotation,but TS'AO Chih wrote his " Spirit of the Lo River" (Lo shen fu) " inspiredby SUNGYii's description of the goddess forthe King of Ch'u," as he said in his preface.150 OtherHan fu describethe beauty of some merelyhuman woman and fall into two general types. The one employsa settingwherethe poet is called upon to disprovea chargeof licentiousness; he describes the irresistible temptation to whichhe was subjected by a lovely and amorous womanwhose advances he managed to rejectby firmness of will and breath control. Typical examples are "The Lechery of Master Teng-t'u" 't-+Af and "The Handsome Man" ju."5- The othertype includesthe " Stillingthe Passions " series, and differs in that the vision of lovelinessremainsinaccessible. The woman makes no improper advances and so can be praised forher chaste behavior. The reasonforstudying thesetraditions of form and subject is, as I have already suggested,to use them in answeringcertain fundamentalquestions about T'AO Ch'ien's poem which must otherwise be obscure. The " Hsien-ch'ing fu " has been variously read as a piece of eroticpoetry,as a politicalallegory, and as a personallove poem. When HSIAo T'ung singledit out among all
149 WH 19.8b includes the whole text, but I can findno earlierreference to it than Ts'AO Chih's. In its openinglines the author states that the subject of "The Goddess " is fromthe " Kao-t'ang" fu, which also is attributedto SUNG Yii. In both fu SUNG Yii and King Hsiang are charactersin the introduction, and it is the characterSUNG YU who is represented as writingthe fu. This could account for the traditionalattribution to the historicalperson SUNG YU (of whom exactly nothingis known beyond his supposed association with that king and CH'U Yuan). I very much doubt that the same man wrote both "The Goddess" and "Kao-t'ang," or that either poem antedates the Han dynasty,but I cannot support my skepticismwith facts, and it is convenientto take " The Goddess " as a point of departure. 150WH 19.15a. 151 The former is in WH 19.12a-14b,the latter in Ku wen yian 3.11a-12b. Neither is mentionedin aniy text earlier than the sixth century,so far as I know. Very " is the " Feng fu" similar to the " Teng-t'u-tzu also attributedto Sung YVi in a, Ku wen yiian 2.6a-7b; it is unlikelythat both are by the same author. Like those in the Wen hsiian, the whole series of fu which the Ku wen yuan ascribes to Sung Yui (except " The Flute ") are about Sung Yii; it is doubtfulwhetherany are by him.
<AM, attributed respectively to SUNG Yii and SSU-MA Hsiang-
192
and the " Spiritof the Lo River" the overtstatements of love for a woman reallysymbolize the love of virtue,and that the poets' melancholy mustbe understood to be the result, not offrustration in love, but of disappointment of theirpoliticalambitions.There is no denying that " Li sao " phrasesoccurin bothfu,or that the allegorical traditionis very pervasive in Chinese love poetry but it does not seem to me possibleto apply it to the generally, poemsin the " Stillingthe Passions " series,whatever its validity forthe " Spiritof the Lo River," and readingit into the " Goddess " poems involvesassumingmore than is knownabout their putative author,SUNG YU. I quite agree with Mr. Lu that the poem shouldbe approachedthrough a studyof literary tradition, but it seemsto me that he has chosenthe wrongtradition. Finally thereis the strictly biographicalreadingof the poem whichinsistson takingT'AO Ch'ien's fu as the recordof a deeply
152 In his prefaceto T'AO Ch'ien's Works2b. ... His appeal to the authorityof YANG Hsiung implies as much, and it was in such termsthat Su Shih scolded him (cf. the quotation in T'AO'S Works5.7a). k , ,I 1i4 , Hsiieh yian a f 2.8 (1948).87-91. t
of the " Li sao,"- he argues that in both " Stilling the Passions '
of T'AO Ch'ien's writings as " the one slightflawon the piece of white jade,"152 he was presumablyindulgingin a moralizing It is likelythat his objection was essentially judgment.153 puritanical: a high-minded like T'AO Ch'ien had no busigentleman ness writing on such a frivolous and questionablesubject. This inference is borne out by the fact that HSlIAoT'ung excluded fromthe Wen hsiian all the " Palace Style" poems which were beingwritten underthe patronageof his brother(HSIAOKang), thoughhe foundroom for the occasional pieces, most of them of his contemporaries. whollyconventional, It is not necessary to endorse HsIAo T'ung's criticaljudgmentto agree that he was readingthe poem correctly as one of a seriesof mildlyeroticfu in whichthe moralizing twistwas not forhim a sufficient justification for an unbecomingpreoccupationwith the more carnal aspects of love. The allegoricalinterpretation of the poem is mostpersuasively stated by Lu Ch'in-li.154 By referring to anothertradition, that
193
feltpersonalexperience.155 Now while thereis absolutelyno externalevidenceforattributing to T'AO Ch'ienany suchexperience, thereis at the same time no way of disproving it, and actually the issue is irrelevant to the value of the poem. It is not how deeplythe poet feels, but how successfully he persuadeshis reader to feel. Yet thereis a danger,in taking a whollyconventional poem out ofits historical context, of acceptinga debased currency at its face value. No one expects to find in this sonnet of156 characterization of the unfortunate DRUMMOND's a faithful Miss he is merely Cunningham; usingthe established Petrarchian con-
vention oftheamatory sonnet: 157
The Hyperborean hills,Ceraunus' snow, thee bred; Or Arimaspus(cruel!) first The Caspian tigerswiththeirmilkthee fed, And Fauns did humanblood on thee bestow; Fierce Orithyia's loverin thybed
166 D. L. PHELPS in Studia Serica 7 (1948) .61: "As for this particular ode, one scholastic interpretation has it that the poet's political ambitions met only with frustration, so that finallyall he could do was to 'lay his far-reaching feelingsto rest in the Eight Horizons'! Thus, the girlhis beloved-to these allegorizing scholarsis only the goal of unattainablepolitical ambitionis.I do not believe it! The poem is too convincing, too immediate, too directin sincerity of feeling, for such a dry-as-dust interpretation. I am sure that T'ao Ch'ien was in love, desperatelyin love, with an irresistible woman! But read the poem for yourself." "' Sonnet XXXV, ThzePoems of William Drummond of Hawthornden (The Muses Library) 1.69. "'1The Petrarchizing poets "in sonnet sequence or pastoral eclogue anid lyric,told the same tale, set to the same tune. Of the joy of love, the deep contentment of mutual passion, they have little to say . . . , but much of its pains and sorrows-the sorrowof absence, the pain of rejection,the incomparablebeauty of the lady and her unwaveringcruelty. And they say it in a series of constantlyrecurring images: of rain and wind, of fireand ice, of storm and warfare;comparisons With sun and moon, and earth and sea's rich gems, With April's firstborn flowersand all things rare, That heaven's air in this huge rondurehems; allusions to Venus and Cupid, Cynthia and Apollo, Diana and Actaeoin;Alexander weepingthat he had no more worldsto conquer, Caesar sheddingtears over the head of Pompey; abstractions, such as Love and Fortune, Beauty and Disdain; monsters, like the Phoenix and the Basilisk." (H. J. C. GRIERSON, "John Donne," The Cambridge History of English Literature 4.225-6.) This descriptionwould need little modification to apply to the fu on love themes.
13
194
Thee lull'd asleep,wherehe enrag'ddothblow; Thou didstnot drinkthe floodswhichheredo flow, But tears,or those by icy Tanais' head. Sith thou disdainsmy love, neglectsmy grief, Laughs at my groans,and stillaffects my death, Of thee,nor heaven,I'll seek no morerelief, this loathsomebreath, Nor longerentertain But yield unto my star,that thou maystprove What loss thou hadst in losingsuch a love.
/ The sonnetof MARINO (" Te l'Hiperboreo monte,o l'Arimaspe Produsse,Elpinia, il Caucaso, o 'I Cerauno.")158 of whichDRUMis guaranteeof the conventional MOND'S is not quite a translation, subject of the poem. In the same way T'AO Ch'ien's fu cannot be read in isolation. in which the spirit fordetermining The safestpointofdeparture T'AO Ch'ien composedhis poem is his preface,wherehe said in effect an exerciseon an establishedtheme. that he was writing to It may be worth the themeas a preliminary whileto formulate makinga criticalestimateof what T'AO Ch'ien did withit. This seems to be the basic structureof the several "Stilling the Passions " fu: There is a womanof greatbeautywhoseequal cannotbe found in times past or present. She is good and wise, a model of decorum. I am irresistably attractedto her, but alas! I have no way to approachher. I tryto meethersoul in my dreams, but here too I am frustrated. I imaginethe bliss of being some inanimate object which she has constantlyabout her, but realize that all of theseare used onlyto be cast aside. I despair. Finally I resolveto pull myself together, and, by resigning myself to the inevitable, gain some measureof controlover my feelings. of this formula differs fromthat of T'AO Ch'ien's versification his predecessors-from theirsurviving fragments, that is-in the considerable elaboration ofthemetaphysical conceit (lines35-75), to which approximately one-third of the poem is devoted. The of each conceitis quite mechanical, development and what began
168
Quoted by W. C. WARD on p. 217-8 of The Poems of WilliamDrummond.
195
last." This turnappears at first as a welcomedeviationfromthe obvious, but repetitiondulls the novelty,and the cumulative effect of this falsetrailthrough a thirdof the poem is to weaken and dissipateits impact. This sectiondoes serveto introduce the mood of frustration in lines 75-84,whateverthe reason assigned forthat mood. The settingof autumn,approachingniight, and solitude (lines 85-96), withthe usual emphasison passing time, preparesforthe inevitabledream sequence,here condensedinto fourlines (97-100) and culminating in the effective images of a boat without oars and the cliff-scaler withouta handlhold. Awake
quity. Instead of saying, " I wish I were . . . but unfortunately that is impossible," he says, " I wish I were . . . but it wouldn't
none of the conceitsquoted from theirfu was borrowed by T'AO Ch'ien,thoughone at least of his was not original.However,the conceptof originality hardlyhas a place in the critiqueof pieces like this: success is to be judged accordingto how well the conwhole. Let us ventionalelements are combined into a harmonious considerT'Ao's poem sectionby section. The firsteighteenlines describethe lovely woman, with the seemsto be an usual emphasison hermoralworth. What at first extraneousfactoris introduced;she is creditedwith a mood of melancholy whichin the earlierversionswas the sole prerogative of the complaining poet. In lines 19-34,the mood is communicated to the poet throughthe device of the music which she that if only a suitable interplays, and thereis the suggestion mediarywere available she would welcomehis advances (since she too is sad and worried about the passage of timeand does not seem to findmuch consolationin the music). The conceits (" I wouldliketo be thecollarofyourdress") in lines35-74represent a seriesof fantasies on how a permanent unionmightbe achieved the intermediary; without in each of themthe emphasisis on the irrelevant theme of the impermanence of the imaginedpropin-
Heng, Ts'AI Yung, WANG,Ts'an, and YING Yang used the figure;
as a device for relievingmonotonybecomes monotonousitself. Still this is the section of the poem which most attracts the reader's attention, probably because of the rarityof this trope to know how CHANG in Chinesepoetry. It would be interesting
196
and unable to sleep again, the poet is observing the signs of the night's passingwhenhe hearsthe soundof a flute(lines101-110). From the associationearlier in the poem ofmusicand his beloved, he is now naturallyreminded of her,and again allows himself to imaginethat theremightbe a message fromher, broughtby a passing cloud ratherthan the usual wild goose (lines 111-114). on the obstacles separating Disappointed again and reflecting him from the object of his desire,he ends on the note of renunciation and resolution in the preface. promised In a form whichgets its effects by elaborationit is pointlessto object to diffuseness, but it is essentialthat one poem does not develop two unrelatedmoods. It is in this respect that T'AO Ch'ien's poem is weak. As I have already suggested, the prominence givento the seriesof conceitsis not justified by theircontribution to the dominantthemeof the poem, that of frustration through inaccessibility. " Stillingthe Passions " is unique among T'AO Ch'ien's works in that none of his usual preoccupationsappear in it-added reason forregarding it as an apprenticeexercisein versification. The nextfu whichI want to take up is his " Lament forGentlemen Born Out of theirTime." In it are symbols,vocabulary, and above all a themewhichhe was frequently concernedwith. But he is stilltreatinga traditional themein a traditional manner,as his prefacetestifies: 159
TUNGChung-shuonce wrotea fu on " NeglectedMen of Worth"; SSU-MA Ch'ien likewisewroteone, and as I read them in my leisuretime160 and idle hours161 J am deeply moved. For to behave that one may be trustedand be 162 constituteman's 163 good concernedto be eligible for Heaven's blessing 164 and maintain equilibrium conduct; to cherishsimplicity 165 are the excel159 160
Works 5.1a-b.
cf. San kuo chih (Wei chih) 13.28b: Asked to explain the meaning of the expression =tt$, [T'UING]Yii said, " Winteris the idle season f,i of the year; the night is the idle time of the day; cloudy, rainy days are the idle periods of the weather." Cited by Ho Meng-ch'unfiiJ-tl. 161 32 H 9: i.e., "Time when I was not busy carryingon improvingconversation with my friends "; cf. I ching No. 58 ( ): 162 ~{~~!IfrI cf. ibid.,FIsi-tz'uA/il: 41AA is probably a T'ang emendationto avoid the taboo JX. 164 A.9b: % I , tjF cf. Tao te ching 16-5 hibi. A.8a:E1 AS-i-NI I X -<:V-
197
lent qualities of the gentleman. Since the timewhenthe truemorality departedthe world, has held sway; the greatimposture 166 in the village they neglect thedutyof retiring forhighprinciples, and in themarket place they are avid for -quick menwhoclungto the right advancement.167 Worthy and 168 in their set their minds on thetruewayhid their talents thosewlho times; keptthemselves cleanand conducted themselves decently exerted themselves to no purpose to theendoftheir lives. So Po-iand the[Four] Heads169 White complained thatthere was no oneto whom theycouldturn.170 CH'U Yuian171 172 Alas,we have human gave ventto his cry" It is all over." form forat themosta hundred yearsand are gonein thetwinkling of an eye;it is hard to establish one'sconduct a lifetime], [in so brief but evenso theinhabitants ofa single citywillwithhold their unanimous praise.173 Thisis whythose men of old wet theirbrushes and repeatedly gave expression to theirpent-up feelings without everresolving them.Now it is onlypoetry whichcan give adequateexpression to the mindand the feelings. I held a scrollof paper in my hand,uncertain of my powers; finally I was movedto writeon this subject.
The ratherpedantictone of the prefacesuggeststhat this is a nmore serioussubject. There are onlytwoprototypes, and theyare obviouslyintendedto supply background forT'AO Ch'ien's own fu. It is hard to tell whichwas written first, but as it is shorter (the textmay ofcoursebe incomplete), I shall beginwithSSU-MA Ch'ien's: 174 Lament for UnemployedGentlemen Alas forthe gentleman bornout of his time175
? 68)':
16
A, "In serving one's prince, when one is reluctant to enter service and quick to retire,then there is order in positionis.When one it quick to serve and reluctantto retire, the result is disorder." Cf. also ibid., 9.4b. 168 ~3i: For jade as a symbol of a man's worth,cf. Analects 9/13. 169. fiM: cf. note 211. The "Four White Heads" were sages who retiredfromthe world under Ch'in Shih-huang-ti and later refused to serve Han Kao-tsu; cf. Kao sZih chuan B.7a-b (SPPY ed.). T'AO Ch'ien elsewhererefersto them in his poetry, e. g., Vorks 2.21a, 3.22a. 170 Both Po-i and the Four White Heads are credited with similar songs ending with " Whom shall I serve?" " (CT 7.1b) . 17 CH'U Yuan is addressedby the title in " The Fisherman r J; * 12 Tlle expressioni is fromthe concludinglines of the "Li sao " (CT 1.49a). E I am unable to locate the source forthis allusion. 1 IWLC 30.2la-b; CHW 26.4b-5a. 174 ,?25t +T 176For ;tT,R cf. Shih ching No. 257/4: J4 | "I was born untimely"
(KARLGREN, op. cit., 9221).
Jf9: cf. Li chi 17.7a-b4In
ibid., A.9a.
AflM1jfiJf II aU JARIRIJp2 a
198
Ashamedto live alone withonlyhis shadowforcompanion,176 Alwaysconcerned himself and be courteous to control 177 Fearing lest his determination to act go unmarked.178 5 In truthhis endowment is adequate but the timeis out of joint; Endlesslyhe toilsup to the veryvergeof death. Though possessedof [pleasing] he goes unnoticed, form, While capable, he cannot demonstrate his abilities. How easily people are misled by povertyor success10 It is hard forthem to distinguish betweenbeauty and ugliness. Whiletimedragson and on I am hemmedin, nevergiven scope. He who treatsthe just justly Is my friend: He who is selfish withthe selfish Bringsgrief to himself,179 15 Heaven's way is mysterious Vast indeed;180
176 lit., "watching one's shadow," comes to mean "self-absorbed,"out of A vanity of either worth or beauty. . " To control 177 t e oneself and be courteous is jWjTq: cf. Analects 12/1: perfectvirtue (jen)." 178 _jJ: cf. ibid., 9/123: "A youth is to be regardedwith respect. How do we know his futurewill not be equal to our present? If he reach the age of fortyor and has not made himselfheard of, then indeed he will not be worth being fifty, regardedwith respect" (LEGGE, The Chinese Classics 1.2023). . . . S1fikLSK 179 e &; :I do not understandthese lines, whichperhaps should be referred to Lieh tzu (SPTK ed.) 1.6b: 4'4ALRLX IZ1t . A rich man told a poor man he had got his wealth by stealing. The poor man tried it anld was arrested. The rich man explained that by stealing he meant stealing from inature, not from men. Master Tung-kuo commented,"Mr. Kuo's stealing was from the common store, and so he escaped punishment. Your stealing was selfish interest. an-d so you got into trouble. Both those who treat the private as though it were public and those who do not do so are thieves. To regard the public as public and the private as private is the principleof heaven and earth. Knowing the principleof heaven and earth,who will speak of stealing or not stealing?" This passage suggests a possibletranslation: " He who treatspublic [property] as public is my friend; he who appropriateswhat belongsto othersbringsgriefto himself." I am not sure what that would mean in the presentcontext. 1SORZZWPA Li Shan'scoim.on WH 15.026a, 924.13b, 28.17bhas C, kJN + . As YEN K'o-chiin remarks,this is a contaminationfrom the [J)E-:, next line.
199
The way of the worldis obvious: and rape.181 Overthrow To love life and hate death Is despisedby the able; To love rank and insultthe lowly Is the overthrow of the wise. Brilliantis my deep insight My understanding capacious. 920Murkyis theirunenlightenment Poison brewing within.182 This heartof mineThese wordsof mineThe wise man garners them. To die nameless
184 Was theancient's shame;
The wisemanunderstands it;183
To hear the truthin the morning and die that night185 Who will say the sage was wrong? 25 There is a cycle betweenbad timesand good: [States]fall and rise. One cannotdependupon constant principles Or relyupon sound knowledge.18' Do not act to bringabout happiness,
betweenW For the conitrast and A,K cf. Chuang tzu (SPTK ed.) 4.42b:
if 1R* -fQ# T--NAR
Ileavein and there is the Way of man. To be esteemed without acting is the Way of Heaven. To become involved throughacting is the Way of man.... The Way of Heaven and the Way of man are far apart." 182 jkjRe 4h~there must be an allusion behind this phrase which I have not been able to discover. "Other '83,t,it'k % E8 'J4: cf.Shihching 198/4: men have their thoughts,but I can understandthem" (KARLGREN, Op. cit., 148). 184 This is the theme of the "Letter to Jen An," WH 41.10a-27a, esp. 23b: 7l. hear the right 185Cf. Analects 4/8: "The Master said, 'If a man in the morning
-2Z.J
*;4gt
"What is meantby the Way? There is the Way of
jA
-.*
t -a
way, he mav die in the eveningwithoutregret'" (LEGGE, op. cit., 1.168). 180 These two lines are fromLi Shan's com. on WH 39.26a. This is a repudiation of the Confucianconcepts of 3M and ;', leading to the Taoist conclusion.
200
Do not interfere to precipitate 187 calamity: Entrustyourself to the spontaneous to the One. And in the end everything willrevert In this,SSU-MA Ch'ien (if the poem is actuallyhis) gives some but typically weight to the old charge of Taoist inclinations, he providesan unimpeachably Confuciansettingforhis heresy. TUNG Chung-shu's treatmentof the theme is rather more ambitious:
Men ofWorth 188 Neglected

TUNGChung-shu Oh, alas, how far-off, how distant!189 How slowlythe chance comes,that so swiftly recedes.190 others'beck;192 193 I have awaited my chance untilnow I am Upright approachingthe grave. 3 Time goes on,194 I cannotexpectto be understood,195 My heart is depressed,19 I cannot hope fora position. Uneasy activitywouldserveonlyto add to my disgrace,
187
They are no followers of ours 191 who bend their will to
MEg
39.265).
188
1&
does not take the initiativein producingeitherhappiness or calamity'"
* cf.Chuangtzu 6.3a: T ffJ@2W
igtaf
"He
(LEGGE,
SBE
? : KWY 3.3a-3b; IWILC 30.20b-21a; CHWV 23.1a-b. k4Li This apostropheis presumablyaddressed to Heaven; cf. SSU-MIA Ch'ien, line 15; also the commonexpressions i _jAI and i { The burden of this plaint is that fate is unknowable. 190 Fa yen (SPTK ed.) 6.2b: gef. : "The good time, the good time, how slowly it comes and how fast it J ;LA goes." Cf. Analects 11/17. By appropriatingto himselfConfucius' words the poet is makinghimselfthe spokesmanfor the Confuciantradition. 192 ,>% J cf. SSU-MACh'iel1,line 12: F?Ii>Xf4I. Cf. Mencius 4A/4: Jt 19 .4: 194 cf. SSU-MIA Ch'ien, line 11 jf,4t,. . f4,4t.{~ t I take the chiieh as referring 195 4sMPft to his potential patron, the ruler who mightemploy him; cf. the " Biographyof CH'UY Yuan," Shih chi 84.3b: 'IJ F7
191
190
jj5;fiJ*
(with A; foryii) occursfrequently in the Shih ching,e. g.; No. 26/5.
201
will onlybreak To butt the fencewithall my strength my horns.'97 If I do not leave mydoorI may avoid trouble.'98 "" Development: the flourishing of the Three Dynasties 10 I was bornnot during them. thetimeofdecadencewhich followed But during and deceitone can expectsuccess, cleverness Whilethrough exerciseselfand the uncompromising The upright restraint. on my conduct200 Though I thricedaily reflect I is equally am aware that to advance or retire 15 fully difficult.20' Men of that ilk trulythereare many 202 Who pointat the whiteand call it black.203 but my sightis dim, eyeswhichare trusted, It is pretty Glib tonguesare believed, but my speechis faltering., 2O The gods are unable to straighten of out the perversity human affairs Nor can sages enlighten ofthe stupid. the befuddlement withthem If I leave my door205 Jcannotwalk together
"'1Cf. 1 ching No. 34 (L-): "A ram butts against a fence and entangleshis horns." 198 Ibid., No. 60 (VJ}L "He does not leave his door. To blame." This unpaired line does not end in a rhyme, and eitherthe ;a is a misprint or a line has dropped out of the text. 199 IH. This term occurs in the "Distant Wandering" (CT 5.4a) and in the Chieh-yiiPan's "Lament for Herself" (CHW 11.7a). on threepoints" (LEGGE, The Chinese '00 Cf. Analects 1/4: " I daily examinemyself Classics 1.189). 201 : cf. Shih chingNo. 257/9: " People have a saying,'To advance or tLIR retireis alike difficult.'" e tZVJtij~: cf. Shu ching4/2/S: " Contemners of the worthyand parasites 202 he had indeed" (LEGGE, Op. cit., 179). such followers of the powerful,-many the white and 203Cf. "The Nine Declarations:" 't.? "They transform make it black" (CT 4.25a). It is not clear just how these attributes 204 ' man wishesto be are to be distributed.On the basis of Analects4/24 (" The superior slow in his speech and earnestin his conduct"), F " should be a positive virtue, shouild hold between with " glib-tongued." contrasting By analogythe same distinction mu hu and shih miao. 200 i.e., take office. I?iP43:
202
JAMESROBERT HIGHTOWER
I withdraw to cleansemy heart207 and examinemy 25
I hidemytalents When at myintransigence. 208 they scoff conscience Z08
But stilltheydo not understand the courseI follow.209 WhenI consider in ancienttimes, conditions Then too men of integrity were isolated and had no one to turnto. UnderT'ang oftheYin therewerePien-suiand Wu-kuang210 UnderWu ofthe Chou therewerePo-i and Shu-ch'i.9 30 Pien-suiand Wu-kuang in the deeps drowned Po-i and Shu-ch'iclimbedthe hill to pick herbs. If even saintslike those weredistraught 212 What is to be expected whenthe wholeworld has gone astray? Men like Wu Yuan and CH'iY Yuian 35 Werereallywithout anyonetheymight look to.-15 ThoughI am not up to [theconductof]thosemen, I shallgo on a distantvoyage,2alwaysadmiring thenm. Alas, men of mv sortare faraway217
213 214
cf. I ching (Hsi-tz'u B/4): 200A "The superiorman keeps his instrument concealed on his person,awaitingthe proper time to act." " The 207 : cf. ibid., (Hsi-ts'u A/10): _V k.RftVtC , A sages A,j3 with these cleansed theirhearts and, retiring, treasured themup in secrecy." 208 For NA I cf. Analects5/27. 209 tjj 4ffigJJ This may mean "I do not know to whom I might offer allegience." Pien-sui the empire,and Pien-snii drowniied himself. He then 2'OT'ang firstoffered who likewisedrownedhimself.Cr. Chuany t7m. offered it to Wu-kuang, 9.29b-30a. 211 For Po-i and Shu-ch'i cf. BD 1657. 212 Cnu Ch'i-feilg(TT 878) equates %J jw with #I14@1 (along with other variant the meaningrangesbetween" idle" aind" uncertain." orthographies); 213 Better known as Wu Tzu-hsii; cf. BD 2358.
214
I II
BD 503.
For protectionand employment. 216 The connotations are Taoist (CT 5) and allegoricalof a search for a of . patron (" Li sao "). As developed in the followinglines, it must also be taken literally: "I am going on a voyage of discoveryto see whetherI can finda sympatheticfriend." 17 In time (as the misunderstood heroes just mentioned) and in space (as the friend he hopes to find.)
215
9203
I fearthe path is overgrown and hard to walk; 40 I dread the warning the man on a journey that superior Will go threedays withouteating.2"8 in the worldis perverse Alas, everyone I regret thereis no one to join me in gettingback [to the True Way]. Betterturnto the good old cause 45 And not let oneself be carriedalong by the times. Though all profit be gained by violatingthe trueself It is stillbetterwithpureheartto cleave to the one Good. One may act only underpressureof circumstancesIt does not follow that he is by natureobstinate.19 50 I know well that great achievement 220 comes with 221 companionship And understand the rewards of the gloryof humility.22 I conform to the hiddenthrough silentcontentment And do not showoff myexcellence or seekto be prominen-t. If one can make commoncause witha truefriend 22 221 55 Why quibble over the difference in our ages?
TUNG Chung-shuhas developed the theme by supplyingexamples,and forconsolationlooks fora friend in adversity. The lifeof retirement whichhe advocates is well within the Confucian traditionof stayingout of office when the times are bad. T'AO Ch'ien multiplied the examplesand borrowed freely from bothhis predecessors:
218
days withouteating."
219 /e JfeE9
Cf. I chingNo. 36 (J3L):
"The superior man on a journey will go three

Z
line. I take it to mean that, though unwillingto compromisehis ideals by serving when the times are not right,he mightbe forcedby circumstances(e. g., poverty) to do so; still his reluctance is not to be taken as a sign of obstinacy,for he would gladly serve if he could do so on his own terms. 220 I ching No. 14. **:
221 222
'22
I am not surethatI understand this
Ip1A: ibid.,No. 13.

M
ibid.,No.
15
JJJ1f)lit. "liver and gall." 224 I have been unable to locate the reference $: behind this term,and so my translationis only a guess. It mightimply " superficial differences " ratherthan age.
204
JAMESROBERT HIGHTOWER
Born out of theirTime Lament forGentlemen T'AO Ch'ien the Creator the breathoflifefrom Ah,ofall whoreceive It is man alone whois endowedwithintelligence.220 hides his light; One, givendivineknowledge, Another, possessedof the Three and the Five,227leaves a name to posterity. in breaking 5 Some findtheirsatisfaction clods,228 Othersperform some greatserviceto mankind. Grantedthat quiescenceor activity are allottedby fate, one shouldbe complacent Whateverthe circumstances and satisfied. The worldfloatsalong and goes its way, to form.2' are dividedintoclasses according 10 Whileall things Whena finenet is cast the fishare frightened, WThen snareis laid the birdsare alarmed.23' a strong
2"' 229
' Ck : cf. Chuangtzu 2.19a: Creator is calledthewind."
of the "The breath
228 Cf. Shu ching 21/1/3: "Heaven and ' JFAi* J Earthare father and mother ofall things, and manofall creatures is theone endowed withintelligence." IIjtis ambiguous. It may referto the E_13jP& (as in PAN KU'S "Two Capitals"fu,WH 1.17b),or twoconstellations No. 21/1),or thesignifi(Shihching canttimeintervals of thirty and five hundred years(Shihchi 27.37a, 41b). It is the lnst which yields thebestsensehere;cf.thefirst Shihchi passagecited: A A)0 "Rulersof a statemustrespect and the five." _Ei thethree 228 iJm: "In the timec' the Emperor Yao the worldwas at peace and the over eighty, was breaking peoplewereat rest. An old laborer, clods in the road. who saw him said, 'Great is the virtuous Someone powerof the Emperor!' The worker work at sunrise and restat sunset.I dig a wellforwaterand said,'I begin tillmyfield for food.Whatis theEmperor's virtue to me?'" (Kao shihchuan A.4a). Li Kung-huan's noteabouta gameof dartsgoing under thesamenaIme is irrelevant. 229 jp.: i.e., whether one lives in retirement or leads an activelifeof public
service;cf. I ching No. 1 (JJ.L). 230 If-;,: cf. ibid., (Hsi-tz'u A/1):
t I; JiZt "Creafrom thiscomegoodand bad fortune." there are divided is ttures by classes; Perhaps hereof the coupletin No. 6 of the poems" On Drinking al,soa reflection Wine" % right and wrong are arbitrarily "Wen (IVorks 3.22) *tf given form,/They all join together with their blameor praise." 231 Cf. JUAN Chi's Sad Songs" No. 76 (59a in HUANG Chieh's ed.): Vfl , "Whenthelinehangs j deepthefish diveintothedepths; /When R 1, soarhigh." the birds thearrows flyaloft
THE FU OF T'AO CII'IEN
205
In the same way the truly wise are quicklyput on theirguard And fleefrom office to go back to farming. 15 High-soaring mountains hide theirshadows, Broad-flowing riversconceal theirsounds.232 They sigh long when they thinkof the EmperorsIluang-ti and Yao; Relinquishing glory,they take pleasure in povertyand low condition. The waterin flowing from the pure spring is forever divided, 920Throughactiongood and evil take theirseparatecourses. When we look forthe most estimablekind of conduct It is surely thegood in whichone can take mostpleasure. We accept our lot from Heaven above And take as our guide the writings bequeathedby the 925We showourselves loyal to ourprinceand filial to ourparents We cultivatetrustand dutyin our town. We willgain distinction [ifat all] through honesty Never seeking praiseif it involvescompromise of principle.234 Alas, the sycophants and slanderers30 The worldabhors anything superior. The man of visiontheycall deluded, The one whoseconductis upright theysay is perverse. He who is absolutelyrighteous and above suspicion In the end is put to shamewithslanderous charges. 35 You may clasp yourjewel and clingto yourorchids,235
Sages.233
[U E )IIiEiXiIb'jJ . I take these lines as referringto the hermit'sretreat,for which mountains and rivers are common symbols; cf. Shih chi 79.20b: XffiJ Cf. also TS'AO Chih's "Stilling Thoughts of Love," lines JI} 6-7: W 24 Eli7 1 ti 233Cf. T'Ao Ch'ien's poem "To YANG Sung-ling" (Works 2.20b): H41= iEA"tW A " To know about times a thousand years ago, / We have only to rely on the writings of the ancients." 234 Cf. TUNG Chung-shu, lines 16-7. 235 Symbols of the worth of the uprightman. For the jewel cf. note 168; for the orchid cf. note 93.
232
206
JAMES ROBERT IIIGHTOWER
In vain yourfragrance and purity-who believesin them? Alas forgentlemen bornout of theirtime! I can no longer live underShen-nung or theEmperorK'uei.23 In solitudeI have devotedmyself to self-cultivation 237 40 When have I failedthricedaily to examinemyself? 238 I hoped that by improving my virtueI would be ready ifa chanceshouldcome,239 The chance came, but I foundno favor. Withouta directwordfrom Master Yuan Chang Chi would have died in obscurity.240 45 I sympathize withOld Man Feng,the Palace Secretary Who had to dependon Prefect Wei to give his advice.24 They made everyeffort to achieverecognition: Still they ate theirheartsout, year afteryear. One may be surethereis no tigerin the market 50 But threereports willlead one astray.242 I lamentthe Tutor Chia's 243 outstanding talents His far-reaching coursecheckedand confined in bounds.244
, supposed to be eitherShen-nung'ssuccessoror a descendantof Huang-ti. A constantrefrain in the "Li sao." 238 See note 200. I U-N 4J1 239 ): cf. I ching No. 1 ( M ;J> "The superiorman improveshis virtue and refines his achievements, in the hope that he will be ready if the chance offers." 240 CHANG Shih-chih i (T. ) served ten years without promotionuntil YUTAN Ang 9 a him to the EmperorAVen; recommended cf. Han sht 50.1a-b. ) 241FENG T'ang as Chief of Palace SecretariespFr1-4$ fouind occasion to protest the Emperor Wen's treatmentof WEI Shang Prefect of Yiin-chung i' fiM, +14$ ~ who had been unjustly punished. FENG T'ang used this as an example of the Emperor'sinadequate rewardsforthe deserving(Han shu 50.6a-b). T'AO Ch'ien's wordingsuggeststhat he had in mind a different version of the story. 242 " P'ANG Kung . . . said to the King of Wei, ' If a person were now to say there is a tigerin the marketplace, would you believe it? ' The king said no. 'If two men said so, would you believe it? ' ' No.' ' Would you believe it if three men said so? ' 'I would believe it.' 'It is obvious that there are Ino tigers in the market,but the testimonyof three men creates a tiger in the market.'" (Han Fei tzu 9.5a). This illustratesthe power of unfavorablepublicity. 243 CHIA I was Senior Tutor *fto Pi rince Huai of Liang; cf. Shih chi 84.8b. For f.T I- cf. No. 9 of the series " On DrinkingWine " (Workcs 24 3.23a) . 1g, ,IE '4"It is possible to learn to hold oneselfin check,/Butit is really wrongto go against oneself."
"37 236
207
I am distressed that Minister Tung's 245 profound learning Should have endangered himrepeatedly, thoughhe fortunately escaped. .5 I am moved that the wise man is withouta comradeMy dripping tears wet my sleeve. One may acknowledge the FormerKings' excellent dictum That Heaven knowsno favorites.246 One may findguidanceby holdingstrictly to the One 247 60 And by constantly aidingthegood,helpthecause ofvirtue. But [Po-]iin his old age suffered from longhunger And [Yen] Hui died youngafterlivingin poverty. I lamentthenecessity forbegging a cartto buyhis coffin,248 I grievethe death of him who ate herbs.249 65 Though the one loved learning and the otherpracticed righteousness Their lives werehard and theirdeaths bitter. I suspectthat thisteaching 250 is no morethan empty words. It is not that in all the worldthereare no men of ability, 70 But it is seldomthat all roads are not blocked.251 The menof old wereburdened withcare, XYorried lest theyfailto make a name forthemselves.252
24 TUNG Chung-shuwas "minister" in the court of the Prince of Chiang-tu; cf. Han shu 56.21a. 21 Cf. Shutching 5/17/4: , p r& iX4j -&AH "Great Heaven has no affec" (LEGGE, The Chinese Classics 3.2.490). tions;-it helps only the virtuous M H 1 247'g p1f cf. Huai-nan tzu 16.1b (SPTK ed.): A "We get a reflection, not from drippingrain, but from still waters." " in its symbolicalsense; but as with water, the T'AO Ch'ien is using chien " mirror "one" provides a guide only if "clear," that is, not agitated; hence ch'eng. For cf. Tao te chingB.2a. j.248 Cf. Analects 11/7: "When Yen Yuan died, Yen Lu begged the carriageof the master [to sell] and get an outer shell for his [son's] coffin " (LEGGE, The Chinese Classics 1.239). 249 I. e., Po-i. I have paraphrasedthis line. 220 Of the formerkings; cf. line 57. This sentimentis repeated in "On Drinking Wine" No. 2 (Works 3.20b): S; g ,, -)L 251 EW2+ This seems to say just the opposite, and I take han as emphatic. 2S2 Cf. SSU-MA Ch'ien, line 23.
j1
208
the timehe came of age, [Li] Kuang began his careerfrom And need not have been ashamedto be made lordof ten
254 75 But his valor was brokenby a royalfavorite And in the end he got not a footof territory. and integrity forsincerity He leftbehindhima reputation [whoheard of his death].255 To move to tears everyone corrupt good advice to reform [Wang] Shang offered practices; overtook him.256 first listened 80 He was a-t to,but misfortune timeschange, How easily prosperous dominates. How quicklymisfortune Blue Heaven is faroff, has no surcease. While man's striving it remains sometimes 85 Sometimes[Heaven] is responsive, unmovedWho can fathomits principles? one's inclinations and follow Betterendurehardship
thousanld households.253
253 Cf. LI Kuang's biography (Han shu 54.7a): "I have r f been fighting the Hsiung-nu since I came of age." He was never offeredsuch a reward,in spite of his great services. The Emperor Wen said of him, "It is too bad Kuanig was born at the wrongtime. If he had lived under Kao-tsu, it would not have been too much for him to have been enfeoffed as Marquis with ten thousand households" eJ rw4T An"P (IHan shu 54.1a). For -tit-i, LI Kuang's own complaintabout his treatment, see ibid., 54.6a. T'AO Ch'ien has EL "c ities" for , probably for the rhyme. 254 )A : i. e., WEI Ch'ing J (half-brother of one of Wu-ti's favorites) who was Commander-in-Chief of the expeditionagainst the Hsiung-nuwhen LI Kuang lost his way and was late at their rendezvous. WEI Ch'ing reportedhim, and LI Kuang killedhimself. 25 " When he died all in the empireshed tears, whether they were acquainted with " (Han shu him or not. Such was his inmostsincerity and integrity with gentlemen 54.23b, afterSSU-MA Ch'ien's appreciationin Shih chi 109.9b). 256There was a false report of an impendingflood in Ch'ang-an. The Emperor Yuan summonedhis counselors,and WANGFeng advised the Emperor to take to a boat along with the Empressand the womenof his harem,while everyoneelse climbed up on the city walls. WANG Shang remarkedthat there had never been a flood such drasticprecautions demanding even in timesof unprincipled government, and that under the currentenlightenedrule it was unlikely there was to be any flood. The Emperor was convinced,and it turned out to be nothingbut a rumor. WANGFeng was embarrassedand resentful, and later secured WANGShang's demotion (Han shu 892.lb-5b).
209
Than compromise and harass oneself. Since I take no gloryin the cap and carriageof office 257 90 Why be ashamed of tatteredgarments? Indeed I have missedmy chanceby choosing simplicity,258 But I shall be happy to return to the quiet life.259 in solitude,260 I shallend myyears Cherishing myfeelings the marketplace. 261 from Decliningany offers The themeof the unemployed sage, the neglectedscholar,the slanderedstatesmanis far more ubiquitousin Chinese literature than any love poetry, however chaste. Historyand legendprovide an almostinexhaustable and legend,history supplyofprototypes; and literature coalesce in the figure of CH'UT Yuan to producethe perfect representative ofthe type. The manyHan and Six Dynasties fu whichare dedicatedto this themeare permeatedby the " Li sao " to an extenthard to demonstrate in termsof verbal borrowings, thoughthose are frequentenough. The specialized subspecies representedby the " GentlemenBorn out of their Time " is not directly modeledafter the " Li sao " as the " Distant Wandering" and the " Meditation on Mystery" are, but the same lamentover an unsympathetic worldwhichaffords no place forintegrity or geniusis the dominantmotif. While this was an attitude fashionablein Later Han and Six Dynasties China, it seldom appears in T'Ao Ch'ien's poetry in so obvious a form. Except in the seriesof seven poems " Celebrating Impoverished Gentlemen"-7JCN, his frequent references to recluseslike JUNG Ch'i-ch'ior the Four White Heads are to expressadmiration for the coursethey chose ratherthan to criticizedirectly the condi257
quilted with hemp,yet standingby the side of men dressedin furs,and not ashamed; -ah! it is Yu who is equal to this" (LEGGE, The Chinese Classics 1.225). 258 ,: cf. T'AO Ch'ien's poem "Returning to the Country to Live" (Works $ j Wl 2.5b):
259
200
cf.Analects 9/27: " The Mastersaid,'Dressedhimself in a tattered robe
A recurrent in T'ao's poetry. theme

$X:
:
2.21a) and
21
**'Jt'
Should I lay it up in a case and keep it? Or should I seek for a good price and sell it? ' The Master said, 'Sell it! Sell it! But I would wait for one to offerthe The Chinese Classics 1.221). price '" (LEGGE,
cf. Analects9/12: "Tzu-kungsaid, 'There is a beautiful gem here.
I take this figuratively, by analogy with M'MART7 (" Hsien ch'ing fu," line 77).
(Works
14
210
tions that made theirretirement necessary. He ordinarily finds faultwiththe presentby eulogizing a golden age of the past, as in the lines262 I hark back to the timeof Tung-hu Whenharvested grainwas leftin the fields overnight; 263 And people thumpedtheirfullbelliescomplacently,264 Risingin the morning, hometo sleep at night. returning Since I did not get to live in such a time I shall just go on watering my garden. The themesof withdrawal from presentdisorderand of a golden age of the past are neatlycombinedin the utopia of the " Peach Flower Spring," an often translated anthologypiece.265 T'AO Ch'ien's personalinterest in men out of harmony withtheirtimes is thus wellattested, but his treatment of the themein his " Gentlemen" fu is not characteristic; it is, however, verymuch in line withthe pre-existing fu whichhe used as models. Though direct are fewerthan in the " Stillingthe Passions " series, borrowings the inspiration is strongly traditional, as even a casual reading shows. AgainI shouldliketo make a moredetailedstudyofT'AO Ch'ien's poem to demonstratehow he combines conventional themes. Where his predecessors launched immediately into theircomplaint,he beginsby statinghis premise(lines1-8): man is unique in being endowedwithintelligence, and of all men the sages are outstandingfor possessingthat endowment to a higherdegree. That some sages live an active life,benefiting theirfellows, while othersretireand devote themselves to self-cultivation reflects a difference in the opportunities presented them;it is the resultof
262 From the poem about the burningof his house, Works3.17a. 263Ho Meng-ch'un quotes from Tzu-ssu-tzu -T-: "In the time of Tung-hu T Chi-tzu, people walked straightdown the road withoutpicking up thingsleft there, and surplusgrain was left overnight in the fields." 24A to Chuang tzu 4.15a: "In the time of Ho-hsiuthe people stayed at reference home without being conscious of what they did; they went without being aware of where they were going. They ate and were happy, drummed on their bellies and enjoyed themselves." 203 H. A. GILES, Gems of Chinese Literature104-5.
211
circumnstance determined censureby by fate,and calls forneither othersnor complaintby the less favoredones. However,in the courseof timecategories of behaviorare set up, subject to praise and blame. The sage regards these arbitrarystandards as a snare and withdraws fromthe worldto live in povertyand obscurity.He regrets the changeof times,but finds pleasurein his enforced retreat (lines 9-18). Since the primordial state of undifferentiated beinghas degenerated to admit good and evil, one must choose what one's conduct will be, and naturallyit is the good to whichone gives allegiance,and the good is that defined in the Confucianethic. A man who aspiresto make a name for himself mustkeep his conductwithin theselimits (lines19-28). This introduction ofreference forthe lament providesthe frame whichbegins (lines 929-36) of the world witha bitterindictment -suspicious of excellence,Skeptical of integrity, slanderousof worth: the good man findslittlecreditforhis ideals. Beginning withline 38 the complaint takes on a morepersonaltone,though the poet does not use the first personalpronounhereor anywhere in the poem. What he now says may apply to himself, but it is stillexpressed in generalterms.Line 38 carriesa reminder of the unattainableideal: even in the scheme of legend which passed forearly historyin pre-modern China, Shen-nungand the EmperorK'uei are shadowypre-historic figures, well buriedin a pasL antedating Yao and Shun to whomConfucian folklore was prone to appeal. In the modernworldthe poet findsthat virtueis no adequate qualification fora position, and illustrates thepointwith two examplesfrom the Han dynasty, one of whichdoes not seeni to be veryapt. The credencegivenfalse reports is introduced as a possible reason forthe neglectof these men and of two other well-known Han statesmen, CHIA I and TUNGChung-shu, whose verysuperiority contributed to theirlack of success. Lines 55-56 bringin a motif from TUNGChung-shu's fu-the wiseman's isolation and need fora companion-only to abandon it withoutany further development. The idea that Heaven is just, rewarding the man who devotes himself to the good, is examinedin the lightof precedent:from what happened to Po-i and Yen Hui it looks as thoughthis is not a valid assumption(lines 57-68).
212
There are good men in the world, but theyseldomget a clhance to aid mankindas theymight. This is of greatconcernto them, formen of abilityare always anxiousto put theirtalentsto use. But even whentheydo have an opportunity to serve,theyeither end a lifeofachievement and devotionin disgrace-like Li Kuang -or findthemselves out of favorin spite of theirsage counsellike WANGShang,both of whomwereundoneby sycophants and slanderers(lines 69-80) . Fortuneis fickle, and disasterwaits on prosperity. I-leaven, if not actuallymalevolent, is at best indifferent to human striving. If Heaven sometimes it is as oftenunmoved, appears responsive, and thereis no way to determine on what principles it operates. If this be true,the only rationalbasis of human behavioris to followone's own ideals, givingup any idea of serving a ruler, for any official careerinevitably will involvecompromise and trouble (lines 81-88). If one is not impressed by the trappings of officialdom, he can be equally indifferent to the povertywhichwill be his lot if he refuses to seek office.The quiet lifeis incompatible withsuccess, but it has its compensations, and it is betterto remainuntempted by speciousoffers whichpromisefame and worldlystatus (lines 89-94). The argumentof this fu is essentiallythe same as SSU-MA Ch'ien's: virtuecan look neitherto the way of the worldnor to the Way of Heaven forits reward. Their conclusions are similar; " is happily SSU-MA Ch'ien's "entrustyourself to the spontaneous combinedwith T'Ao's " returnto the quiet life" in anotherof T'Ao's poems (" The Return"), wherethe two injunctionsare complementary. The difference in development in this fu owes something to TUNG Chung-shu, whose emphasison companionship is missing in both the others, but whoseelaboration in terms of historical exampleswas imitatedby T'AO Ch'ien. Of the three, SSU-MA Ch'ien's best conveysthe mood of bitterness and frustration,but T'Ao Ch'ienhas achievedthe mostsubtlepresentation of the dilemmaconfronting the man of good will,tornbetweenhis desireto serve,his dedicationto ideals of conductwhichrequire him to serve,and the unhappystate of the worldwhereservice involvesthe compromise of thoseveryideals. His choiceof a life
213
of obscurity is in part motivatedby the wish to escape the disasters which overtake high-minded bureaucrats,but also it is because of his convictionthat martyrdom does not further the cause oftheright.The appeal to self-interest helpskeep thepoem above the level of banality and downright pose. Althoughone may prefer SSU-MA Ch'ien's treatment of the theme,T'AO Ch'ien in this fu shows technicalversatility and achieves a convincing statement of a complexidea. In " Stillingthe Passions " and " Lament forGentlemen Born out of theirTime " T'AO Ch'ien was writing conventional fu on establishedthemes. His prefacessaid as much,and an examination of his modelsamplyconfirms his statement.When he came to write " The Return" he made no such prefatory appeal to tradition,but describedinstead the personal experiencewhich moved him to write:266
I was poor,and whatI got from farming was not enough to support my family. The housewas fullof children, and therice-jar was empty.I could notsee any way to supply the necessities of life. Friends and relatives kept uirging me to becomea magistrate,267 and I had reluctantly cometo think I shoulddo it, but there was no way forme to get sucha position. At the 268 and madea good impression timeI happened to have business abroad on the grandees as a conciliatory and humane sortof person.Because of my 269 offered an uncle poverty me a job in a villageunderhis jurisdiction, but 270 and I trembled the countryside was stillunquiet at the thought of going so farawayfrom home.However, P'eng-ts'e was onlythirty milesawayfrom my nativeplace, and the yield of the fieldsassignedthe magistrate was sufficient to keep me in wine, so I appliedforthe office. Before manydays had passed,I longedto giveit up and go back home. Why,you may ask. B3ecause my instinct is all for freedom, and will not brookdiscipline or restraint. Hunger and coldmaybe sharp, but thisgoing against myself really myself to mymouth and belly, and the realization of thisgreatly upsetme.
268 7 1 26S
sickensme.271 WheneverI have been involvedin official lifeI was mortgaging

Works 5.7b-8b.
K
' Li Kung-huan says this refersto the occasion when he was sent to the capital in the capacity of Secretaryto the GarrisonCommander: Liu Lao-chili GIJI4 ,. 4A#, 269T'Ao K'uei ;, accordingto T'AO Chu. : cf. "On Drinking fl ); '>TO ~ *0: Wine" No. 10: vM5I} E l'j4' "The way is far and long,/ Wind and waves (sC. civil disturbances)block the road" (Works 3.23b). 271For aUE cf. note 244.
is a superiorclerk or a high official.It is the former which is meant here.
9214
but I was I was deeply ashamed that I had so compromised my principles, afterwhich I mightpack up my clothes still going to wait out the year,272 and slip away at night. Then my sister who had marriedinto the CH'ENG familydied in Wu-ch'ang,and my only desire was to get away. I gave up my officeand left of my own accord. From mid-autumnto winterI was altogethersome eightydays in office, when events made it possible for me to do what I wished. I have entitledmy piece " The Return"; my prefaceis dated the eleventhmoon of the year i-ssu (405).
His failure to mention any modelsforthisJudoes not of course mean that therewere none,but it does suggestthat he was not primarily concerned withimitationand elegantvariation. Actually therewereseveralfu extolling the bucoliclifeat the expense of cityliving,and celebrations of the seasonableness of naturein fu formto whichhe could have appealed and which may have influenced what he wrote. It is instructive to take a look at a couple of specimens:it helps explainwhy " The Return" enjoys a unique place in the voluminous fu literature whilethese others are seldomnoticed. It is CHANG Heng again who providesthe earliestknown example of a fu on thissubject. Returning to the Fields 273 In the cityI have spenttimewithout end With nevera word of good counsel to benefit the commonweal 274 Fruitlessly standing by the streamand admiring the fish And waitingin vain forthe River to run clear.275 5 I lose hope whenI thinkof the unhappyTs'ai Tse
<"forone harvest," presumablyfor the wine which he intenided to brew fromthe rice crop. ` 273 J4II15.25b-27a; IWLC 36.12b-13a; CHHWV53.9b-10a. I have followed g, the TVHtext and commentaries. __ 274 Cf. YANG Hsiung's "Ho-tung fu" (CHW 11.6a): "It seems to me that standingby the stream and admiringthe fishis not jigll so. good as going home and tying a net." Li Shan quotes a similar sentence from Huai-nan tzu, but I cannot locate it in current editionsof that text. 1 J.e., for recognition.The allusion is to the " Chou poem " quoted in Tso chuan
272 --:
wait forthe River to run clear?"
(Hsiang8):
{ti
8\fZ
"How long does a man live,/That he can
915
Whose doubtswereresolvedby Master T'ang."6 Truly Heaven's operationsare unfathomable: 277
Overstepping the dust ofthe worldI shallgo faraway 10 And take finalleave of worldlyaffairs.279 Then In the best monthof mid-Spring When weatheris fairand air clear Highlandsand lowlandsburgeon All plants are in bloom;280 15 When the ospreydrumshis wings And the oriolesingshis sad song, With necks crossedtheyflyup and down twitter-twitter. Chirp-chirp, 20
281 suchI saunter Among
I shallemulate theFisherman and share hisjoys.278
For the pleasureit givesme.282
And then The dragonsingsin the greatmarsh The tigerroarson the mountain.283 Above I let flythe thinsilk thread,284
276 Ts'AI Tse g was an itinerantpoliticianwho had been unsuccessful until he met the physiognomist T'ANG Chi! e , who advised him that he had a life expectancyof another forty-three years. He subsequentlybecame ministerin Ch'inl. Cf. his biographyin Shih chi 79.15a-b. CIIANG Heng implieshe has no T'ANG Chii to reassure him. 277 Cf. SSU-MA Ch'ien's " Lament " line 15, also T'AO Ch'ien's, line 83, and note 189. 278 Since Heaven's whims are unpredictable and I cannot expect preferment at " of course court, I shall enjoy the irresponsibility of retirement."The Fisherman is the one who tried to reason with the intractableCH'U Yuan (cf. CT 7), though there may be also an oblique reference to the fisherman(in Chuang tzu 10.5b-lla) who so effectively humbled Confucius. 279 Lines 9-10 are omitted in IWLC. " 44 280 4LIW'J .*. cf. Ts'AO Chih, Chieh-yu fu" tfJ: g4SM ZJ ,I 1J?Vt (Works 1.3b). j1 281 ' this line is fromShih ching 186/1 (Li Shan). 282 Lines 16-20 are omittedin IWLC. " The 283 Cf. Huai-nan tzu 3.2a: tigerroars and the valley wind begins to blow, the dragon rises and rain clouds gather." The poet implies that like the dragon and the tigerhe is in tune with the forcesof nature. 284 Which is attached to an arrow, used in fowling. The followingfishingand
216
JAMES ROBERT IIIGHTOWER
Below I angle in the ever-flowing stream. 25 [The birds]collidewiththe arrowand die covet the bait and swallowthe hook. [The fish] the flock I bring the clouds the birdlost from downfrom I dangle[on myline]the sha-liufishin the depths. Justthen The declining rays of the Great Luminary 30 Are carriedon by Wang-shu.286 So entrancedby this pleasure-jaunt I forget fatigue, thoughthe sun is setting. I take to heartthe admonition handed downby Lao-tzu,287 And turnmy courseto my rustichut. &5 I pluck raremelodieson the five-stringed [lute] And recitethe worksof Chou[-kung] and Confucius In highspirits I take up brushand ink and write, To celebratethe laws of the ThreeEmperors. If I set free myheartoutsidethe realmofthings 40 What are the paths of gloryto me? The affinities of this themewiththe " Gentlemen Born out of theirTime " are clear enough: the worldof affairs is a bad place, unpredictable at best,and the wiseman knowsenoughto get out. But the emphasisis verydifferent. Here the " dust of the world" is quicklydismissed, and thepoem describes thepositivepleasures of retirement in the country.It is a Taoist theme,prominent in Chuangtzu, and freefrom the carpingbitterness whichpermeates " series. The joys of country the fu of the " Gentlemen livingare also describedin an untitledessay by CHUNG-CH'ANG T'ung,' written in a strictly parallel prose that differs fromthe fu form
fowling motifs are commonto bucolic poetryof this period; cf. the first of Hsi K'ang's "Poems on a DrinkingParty" (Works 1.13a): " With light pellets we slay soaring birds, / With slenderlines draw forthsturgeon." 286 i.e., the sun (L; iHsiang). Cf. TS'AO Chih's " Chieh-yu fu": _ "I resentit that the Great Luminarygives no light" (Workfs 1.4a). 286 of the moonl;cf. WANG I'S com. on the "Li sao," CT 1.19a. f the charioteer 287 Cf. Tao te ching A/6a: "To go galloping on the hunt drives the mind to madness." 288 4IPJAE quoted in his biographyin Hou Han shu 79.1Sa-14a; CHHW 89.9a-b.
217
by its more varied rhythm and the absence of rhyme. Though thisparticular literary tradition: not a fuit willserveto document If I mighthave formy dwelling A spacious house and fertile fields, on a stream, Backed by hillsand verging and ponds, Surrounded by waterways Dotted withbamboo and trees, Threshing floortamped in front,"' Fruit orchardplanted behind; Withboat and carriage ofwalking to save me the trouble and wading, Withservants to spareme thetoilofmyfour limbs; My parentsmight have all delicaciesforfood, mightlack the trialsofexertion; My wifeand children Whenmyfriends I could set out wineand food congregate fortheirenjoyment, And on feastdays make offerings of steamedlamb and pork; I would loiterin the garden the woods, Or wanderthrough Splash the clear water Or chase cool breezes, carp Angleforthe swimming Or shootat the high-flying goose; Recite poetrybelow the altar forrain sacrifices Or I wouldcomposemy mindin an innerroom,meditating on Lao-tzu's mysterious emptiness; breathcontrol, I wouldseek to becomean Adept; Practicing friends Or withenlightened I would discussmetaphysics and books, Heaven and Earth, Contemplate Considerthe human state; I wvould pluck the classic melodyof the Nan-fen.291
I 289 cf. Shih ching 154/7: )LJ . The p'u is a vegetable W juJ: in the fall. garden whichwas pounded hard forthreshing 290 Cf. Analects 11/!25. 291 Shun made the lute and used it to accompany the song "Nanfive-stringed feng"; cf. Li chi l1.lOb.
Andreturn hall;290 singing to thehigh
9218
Playinga lovelytune in the clear shangmode; I wouldtake myease above the world, Lookingwithdetachment on all betweenheaven and earth: Untouchedby the censure ofmy fellows, I would live out my allottedtermof life. Then Soaringto the heavens,I wouldbe outsidethe boundsof the universe; Why shouldI desireto have entry intothe king'spalace? In this as in CHANG Heng's fu, bucolic pursuitsare combined withintellectual whilethe commitment to Taoist metaexercises, physicsis even more definite.The description of the flowering in lines 11-20 of CHANG of springtime Heng's fu has no counterin a fu " An Excursionin the part here,but it occursprominently Season " S Hsiu 41M5(173-219) and in a fu [Spring] by YANG with the same title by Ts'AO Chih (192-2392).While neitherof borrowshis title " Returningto the Fields " is, and might be takenas an exampleof whatT'AO Ch'ien did not write. to the Fields 292 Returning
CHANG
these is an imitation of CHANGHeng, the fu by CHANGHua which
Hua
I obey the rhythm of yin and yang Conforming to the seasons as theyfold and unroll. In winter my dark(?) dwelling is in the city In spring I wanderfreearoundmy country hut. 5 I go back to the old site of Chia-ju 293 In quest ofquiet 294 to live in retirement. I cultivateplants that theymay flourish Followingthe hills and contoursof the land. I set out in thickclumpsthe vegetablesand fruits,
292
S93
COW
IWLC 86. 58.1b;

:I
the old capital of the Chou; cf. Tso chuan (Hsiian 3).
294
glI,:
do notunderstand thisphrase.
219
10 Raise mulberry and hempin profusion. I supplymyneedsby takingadvantageofHeaven's Way herbsand drugs. And amuse myself by growing I wanderby the banksoftheLo River Sometimes Or perhapsstand stillas it suitsmy fancy. 15 I eye the whitesand and the piled-uppebbles And familiarize myself withthe different flowers. I splash the whitewaves to wash my feet295 And floatdownclear ripplesas it fits mymood. I hesitateand stop 20 I restainid foliage, My soul lodged in the infinitesimal, My spiritdepartedbeyondthe horizon. The softgrass is my mat The hangingshadowsare my canopy. 25 I watch the high birds mountthe wind I look down at the t'iao fishin the clear shallows. I look at the worldof men,regarding it from afar, Cultivating spontaneity, universally valid,296 That I may retire to one valley297 30 And long residein obscurity, renouncing fame.298 " The Return" may now be read in properperspective.The themeis the same; actually the series of poems " Returningto the Fields to Dwell," whichT'AO Ch'ien wroteat about the same time,use a titlewhichcould apply as well to his fu.
295 This is ratherflippant; cf. the " Ts'ang-langSong " in Menciu* 4A/9: " When the water of the Ts'ang-langis clear/It will serve to wash my cap./Whenthe water of the Ts'ang-lang is muddy/It will serve to wash my feet." 296 Cf. Hsi K'ang's "Poems to his Elder Brother,"No. 19 (Works 1.3b): _ A* " Men of the world are hard to awaken, Tfrf3h, f / They go offin pursuitof thingsand never return. / The Adept views such fromafar (with detachment), / And returnsto the spontaneous." 297 Like the frogin Chuang tzu 6.25a, who was contentto be masterof " the water in one valley" -#;L7JC and stay in his abandoned well. 298 ; is the inauspicioushexagramNo. 12; *, whichportendsprosperity, is No. 11.
220
The Return 299

To get out of this and go back home! 299a and gardenwillbe overgrown My fields withweedsI must go back.300 It was my own doingthatmade my mindmy body's slave 30 and lonelygrief? Why shouldI go on in melancholy 5 I realize that there'sno remedying the past But I knowthat there'shope in the future.302 After all I have not gone faron the wrongroad 303 And I am aware that whatI do today is right, yesterday 10 Flap, flap,the wind blows my gown,306 I ask a passer-by about the road ahead,307 the dimnessofthe lightat dawn. Grudging
299 Works 5.7b-14a; WVH45.27a-29b. This piece has been often translated. A but by no means complete list will be found in Note 89 (with the representative, exceptionof PHELPS and WILLMOTT). 299a to Professor YANGLien-sheng forpointing out the /4 I am indebted bortatoryforceof lai in this line. He calls my attentionto its use in FENG Hsiuan's recurrentsoIig: p (Shih chi 75.7b) and the examples cited in P'EI 515-6. Ku-shu hsii-tzuchi-shih . Hsiueh-hai's fromShih ching No. 36: "It's no use, it's no use, why not return?" 300 J+ (KARLGREN, op. cit., 23). 301 The heart is the master Jt Zi2-I JLNVCJg42) cf. Huai-nan tzu 7.4b of the body." is useless; but the futuremay still 302 Cf. Analects 18/5: "As to the past, reproof be providedagainst" (LEGGE, The Chinese Classics 1.333). 303 cf. "Li sao" (CT 1.17b) W : AK*4 and returnto the road,/Not having gone far on the carriage "I my turn a wrong path." 304 Cf. Chuang tzu 9.13b-14a: " When Confucius was in his sixtiethyear, in that year his views changed. What he had before held to be right,he now ended by holding to be wrong; and he did not know whetherthe things which he now proyears held to be wrong" nouncedto be rightwere not those whichhe had forfifty-nine (LEGGE, SBE 40.144). 305 Here begins the description of the trip home, firstby water, then on foot. 306 k: cf. T'AO'S poemto the Hi-ts'ao Hu (Works2.22b):Sa J%,Ii " P'&"qkA Flap, flap,it blows my clothes." 307 Cf. T'AO'S poem " Detained at Kuei-lin" "The (Works 3.11b): is concernedabout the road ahead." home-farer
in thegentle 305 My boatrocks breeze
wrong.304
221
Then I catch sightof my poor hutFilled withjoy I run.308 15 The servantboy comesto welcomeme My littleson waits at the door. The threepaths 309 are almostobliterated are stillhere. But pines and chrysanthemums I entermy house hand by the Leading the children 20 Wherethereis a bottlefilledwithwine.310 a cup; 311 I drawthe bottleto me and pour myself joy to my face. brings Seeingthe treesin the courtyard expand312 pride let my and I lean out the southwindow I consider witha littlespace.313 how easy it is to be content 25 Every day I strollin the gardenforpleasure but it is always shut.314 There is a gate there, 315 Cane in hand I walk and rest Occasionallyraisingmy head to gaze into the distance. : This common Shih ching construction 308 used by T'AO is frequently -3WAl )i poems. in his four-word 309 : an allusion to CHIANG YU * , an official who became a recluse rather than serve WANG Mang (Han shu 72.30a). Li Shan quotes a now lost work by CHAO : "CHIANG Yii . . . had a hut in a Ch'i &'IJ, the San-fmchiieh-lu Jj bamboo grove. He cleared three paths and sought the company of no one but Chung-yangand Chung-ts'ung. Both of them were men of principlewho renounced fame and would not come out of retirement." : cf. Hsi K'ang's "Verses to his Elder Brother" No. 16 (WH 310 -ftff -' wine fills the bottle,/But I have no one to 24.12a): 4tt"Fine l l l,s enjoy it with" (Li Shan). 311 | xgl nJij: Cf. T'AO'S poem "On DrinkingWine," No. 7 (Works 3.22b) "Although I am drinkingalone,/ When the cup is t jj jBj?5J<%> {fi empty I tilt the bottle myself." 312 eJ cf. "On DrinkiilgWine" No. 7 (Works 3.22b): f9.MRF f "I whistle forthmy pride beneath the east window." This suggests that the T detail. directionis not a significant 313 gJ: lit., " enough room for the knees," an allusion to Han-shih wai-chuan fromthe King 9/23: Master Pei-kuo's wife is arguingagainst his accepting an offer of Ch'u: "Now though you have horses harnessed four abreast and a mounted escort,still the place you occupy is only [the room] taken up by your knees" (HIGH-
TOWER 311).
31 I. e., to the outside world. Cf. T'AO'S poem "To Ching-yiuan" (Works 3.14b):
im-AftR 315 1*:
lit., " support of the aged." Defined by Ho Meng-ch'un as being of wisteriavine or twistedbamboo.
gate is alwaysshutby day." "My rustic
222
risefrom The clouds,impersonal, the peaks 30 The birds,flying wearily, knowit is timeto come home. As the sun's rays growdim and disappearfromview I walk arounda lonelypine tree,stroking it. Back homeagain! May my friendships be brokenoffand my wanderings come to an end.316 35 The worldand I shall have nothing moreto do withone If I wereagain to go abroad,what shouldI seek?318 Here I enjoyhonestconversation withmy family And take pleasurein lute and books `19 to dispelmy worries. The farmers tell me that now springis here 40 There willbe workto do in the westfields. Sometimes I call fora coveredcart320 Sometimes I rowa lonelyboat 321
" (Works 2.17b): J<A4~1UF: cf. T'AO'S poem "To the Registrar Kuo "I put an end to my contacts and go to live in retirement."Also "In obscurity, "Celebrating Poor Gentlemen" No. 6 (Works 4.11a): he breaks offrelationswith the world." " (Works 2.16b): Affi 317 1 ITh" 4: cf. his "Poem to Liu Ch'eng-chih -I-Urfr?,Rf1 iF8 I /With passing time "The world with its ceaseless striving, " (IYorks 3.14b): leaves me fartherbehind." Also " To Ching-yiian A1IRHAEJ world." "I have cut offconnectionswith the far-off cf. Ts'AO Chih's fu " Excursionin the SpringSeason " (Works 318 2 n
318pri~
another.3"7
--f rm UJ
1.4a):
f,
X4
; also T'AO'S " Afteran Old Poem" No. 8 (Works4.5a):
819' j cf. T'AO'S poem "To the RegistrarKuo" (Works 2.17b): I "I sit up and amuse myselfwith lute and books." Also "When I firstbecame | "My taste was " (Works 3.10b): Secretaryto the GarrisonCommander for lute and books." 320g~~i~fr~jiiIicf. K'ung ts'ung tzu A.31b: i4-'Pfr"I have them drive my VD covered cart" (Li Shan). in these fu; cf. Ts'AO Chih's " Excursion in 821 The cart and boat are stock fixtures PiIl+-A "Then we descend to assemble the Spring Season " (Works 1.4a): in a light boat "; YANG Hsiu's fu of the same title (CHHW 51.9a-b): 1lIIkW 7J J-* "We ride in attached boats. . .. Then we mount carriages ... and come back."
223
Followinig a deep gully322 through the stillwater Or crossing the hill on a ruggedpath. 45 The treesput forth luxuriant 323 foliage The springbeginsto flowin a trickle. I admirethe seasonableness of nature324
It is all over!326 50 So littletimeare we grantedhumanform in the world.327 Let us thenfollowthe inclinations of the heart: 328 Wherewouldwe go that we are so agitated?329 I have no desireforriches And no expectation of Heaven.330 55 Rather,on some finemorning to walk alone Now plantingmy staff to take up a hoe,33' Or climbing the east hill and whistling long Or composing versesbeside the clear stream: 332
322
And am moved to think that my life will come to its close.325
driftas it will throughthe turns of a gully." Hlsin-hsin can mean "joyous," and has been so translatedin .)23U*ft)rRJa [J this line. The attributionof such a feelingto the processes of nature is not incompatible with T'AO'S thiniking, but the parallel M " of the next line makes a less subjective reading preferable. 324 cf. T'AO'S poem " To the Hsi-ts'ao HU" (Works 2.22b): %PtX1ffZf%1: t*u1AR211" I am moved at the way nature strivesforseasonableness." 325 cf. his poem " An Outing on the Hsieh Stream" (Works :Pt,4ff{:
g*.
%M;|X+xN, '
32
E~E
(var. $g ) 1:
r' ei W
cf. T'AO'S poem "Harvest in Hsia-sun " (Works 3.19a):
"I row acrossthe smooth lake/And let my boat
2.7b):
.32 82
Cf. note 172. ggtjnF1&
f4LtjT124Z"My lifedrawsto its close."
: cf. T'AO'S preface to his "Gentlemen"fu: |

cf. Hsi K'ang's fu "The Lute" (WH 18.28b):
328
JJff: (Li Shan). 329 tjjJJ AAVXfiiZ:
8ff
)i>4I9;:
p'pi
cf. T'AO'S "Untitled Poem" No. 8 (Works 4.7b):
330 is the place where an Immortal roams when he is tired of the earth; cf. XiN Chuang tzu 5.7b. 331 A;
'i4jIj:
As did the retired sage in Analects18/7:
iJ
f.
T'Ao refersto him again in his poem "In Spring, Rememberingmy Old Farm" (Works 3.13a): 4:w;Qf4jgLM "And so the old man who planted his stick,/Will never turn again." cf.Hsi K'ang's"The Lute" (WH 18.26a): I I I 332|M 8ffiL I (LI Shan).
224
So I manage to accept my lot untilthe ultimate I" homecoming 60 Rejoicingin Heaven's command, whatis thereto doubt? One clue to the difference between" The Return" and T'AO Ch'ien's other fu is that in it his phraseologyechoes his own poetry much more than those fu which might have been his models. Some of those echoesare listedin the notesto my translation,othersare too tenuousto demonstrate easily,and a third groupI wishto discussin moredetail. Throughout T'AO Ch'ien's poetrya numberof symbolsrecur: the bird lost fromthe flock, whichrepresents the man who can find no place amongthe crowd; the lonely pine tree,standingfor constancyin adversity;chrysanthemum forlongevity; musicand booksforaestheticand intellectualpleasures,and also as symbols of the Confucian teachings; a solitarycloud fordetachment; and above all, wine forrelease. Several of thesefinda place in " The Return,"wheretheiruse is so unobtrusive that a casual readingfails to discoverthat they carryany unusual weight. Their symbolicalforceis established, not in this one poem, but throughtheir consistentuse in the wholecorpusofT'AO'Spoetry. The use ofsymbolism is not at all uncommon in Chinesepoetry, but most poets are contentto take theirsymbolsready-made, so that the device mergeswiththat of the ubiquitousallusion. The dangerof a personal,idiosyncratic symbolism is of coursethat it may obfuscate rather than clarify; of all poetictropesit is the one mostlikelyto impedecommunication at the pointwhereit should be most immediate. Its advantage is that it gives the poet a flexible tool of greatpowerwhichincidentally lends coherence to his whole poetic output. The poets, like Blake and Yeats, who are addictedto the use of thiskind of symbolism are rewarded by having all theirpoetryread, not just the anthologypieces. (If Blake's so-calledProphetic Books are not read,it is because there is a difference betweena privatesymbolism and a personalmyth333
2.23a); f
384'
JP4tR1J
:
1tfA{
.n
(Works "We leave blindly,as fate takes us." cf. his poem "On DrinkingWine" No. 12 (Works 3.24b): fi-J',9&
g : cf. T'AO'S poem "Lament forHis Cousin Chung-te"
is in largepart his own creation ology.) T'AO Ch'ien's symbolism derivativepoetry,and ir except wherehe is consciously writing his othertwo fu the symbolsare mostlystereotyped and appeai in muchof the earlierpoetrywiththe same value giventhemby T'AO Ch'ien. As an exampleof the added forcegained by the symbolicuse of a term,I proposeto examinethe occurrences of the pine tree in T'AO'S otherpoems,since the word occurstwice in " The Return" (lines 17, 32). T'AO'S favoritesymbolstend to appear inl combinationand I shall not try to isolate this one fromthe focal point. No special others, but merelyuse it as a convenient significance should be attached to the sequence of the following poems; the chronology of most of them is uncertain, and I am taking them in the order in which they occur in his collected works. To the RegistrarKuo 33
Dew congeals,thereare no morefloating mists Heaven is high,338 the briskair clear. Amongthe low hillspeaks stand out Now distantviewsare unsurpassed. Fragrantchrysanthemums gleam in the woods Greenpinescap the hillsin ranks. I admiretheseforms constantin theirblooming 339 Sentinelheroesbeneaththe frost. With winecup to my lips I remember the recluse340
'35 Works 2.18a. My translationfollowsSUZUKI'S (To Emmei shikai 175-8) except in the last three lines. " 338 Al: lit., everywhere." '33 X: white is the color associated with autumn; cf. Po-hu-t'ung (SPTK ed.)
3.12b: --1B1!1 338Commonly said of the autumn sky; cf. " The Nine Persuasions" (CT 8.2a):
But clearchill 337 autumn inthiswhite season:
Warmthand moisture filled the air 3?6 in spring
p "Sad is the autumn season, The sky is lofty,the k-, fJ2, , jV% air clear." ` I. e., chrysanthemums and pines. 340 those men of old who lived in obscure retirement.Cf. Hsi K'ang's poem "A DrinkingParty" No. 1 (Works 1.13a): i@i |. II
'AA:
15
226
Who a thousandyearsago foundcomfort stroking you.34 circumstances. 342 As I cannotescape straitened Tranquilly34 I shall watchout thisgood season. are broughttogetheras plants Here pine and chrysanthemum whichdo not yield at the first approachof autumnfrost (of the that braves the chrysanthemum he says elsewhere" The flower
cold bloomsalone"344);
times. inclement whomustalso live through
theyafford consolation to the recluse
On DrinkingWine, No. 4 343 the flockAnxiousthe bird lost from The sun sets and stillit lonelyflies; place Uncertain, withno fixedresting Throughthe nightits crygrowssadder. A shrillsound,as it thinksof the distantrefugeBack and forth, always seeking.346 pine tree, At last it reachesa solitary afterthe longjourney. Preensits feathers In the harshwindno treekeeps its leaves: This shelter alone willnot fail. Here the birdhas refuge and resting place Never willit leave in a thousandyears.
341 I follow T'AO Chu in taking " you " to mean the chrysanthemums and pines. "Found comfort" is a paraphrase of A (== '), "strengthenedtheir resolve," this also fromT'AO Chu. SUZUKI understands"I admire your teachings of a thousand years ago," i. e., the recluses' teachings. 342 4"-': This termis not attested elsewhere. T'AO Chu and SUZUKI take it to mean "Looking closely into my own heart (aspirations) ." Anotherreadingis "books
343J0J: I do not see how SuzuKi gets "dissatisfied" out of this. It mightmean "for a briefwhile." 11 "44 In Retirement duringthe Autumn Festival " (Works 2.4b). Works 3.21a. I have failed to get in the ch'ing: "a pure, 346X8Wsgrpj3A undefiled" place which is also far-off. It is probably this word which leads the commentators(e. g., CHAOCh'iian-shan;7 of the piece; Xi ) to a political interpretation i.e., it is meant to chide men like YEN Yen-chih who found an impure refugeby servingthe Liu Sung dynasty. However, there is a variant reading I I I I " A shrillsound as it thinksof the clear dawn,/ Going faraway withnothing MfqP,JW to rely on." I have paraphrased i-i; it is a descriptiveadverb: "admniringly, with longing."
346
and letters." Both strike me as forced, and I am emending . 4e&to f
227
On Drinking Wine,No. 8 347

A greenpine growsin the east garden Hidden by a mass of vegetation; When chillfrost the otherplants destroys Its loftybranchesstand out prominently. Crowdedin amongothertreesno one notices Planted in isolationeveryoneadmires. I lifta winepot and hang it on a cold branch From afarI regardthe treeever and again: Born into this dreamillusion Why shouldI submitto the dustybonds? Here the pine tree again functions as a symbolof steadfastness, but tlle approachis somewhat different from thatofthefirst poem quoted above. Adversity servesto singleout the individualwho in pleasanttimesis indistinguishable from the mass. The " dream illusion" of the next to last line is perhaps the only example of specifically Buddhistvocabulary in T'Ao Ch'ien,and he may have been usingit simplyas a current expression. In thesethreepoemswe can see how T'AO Ch'ien persuadesthe readerto accept his own associationswiththe pine tree,elevating it to the status of a symbol. Not that his everyuse of the word is necessarily meant to be symbolical.It appears combinedwith 11 " cyprus" in one of his imitations (" Afteran Old Poem " No. 4 348) whereit has the conventional associationof the term with tombs;elsewhere(" On DrinkingWine," No. 14 349) it is a part of the scenery, a place wherefriends meet to drinktogether. But referring back to line 18 of " The Return,"the simplestatement " But pines and chrysanthemums are still here" takes on " My refuge the added suggestion is here and has not failedme." Line 32 ceases to be even slightlybathetic: " I walk around a lonelypine tree,stroking it" becomes a spontaneousgestureof affection, not forvegetation indiscriminately, but fora triedfriend wi-tb whosesolitarystate he can identify himself.
... Works 3.23a. 348Ibid., 4.3b. 349 lbid., 3.25a.
228
The lhome to whichhe has returned is presented through significant details: the eager servantwho runs out to meet him, his son who waits shylyat the door,the familiar scene in courtyard and garden. It is given additional emotionaldepth with great economy by the introduction ofhis established symbols:the homing birds,the detachedclouds,the pine treeand chrysanthemums, and mostof all, the winebottle,in whichhe has professed to have foundconsolation in overhalfof his poems. The brief list of country pursuits (lines 41-44) is the onlypart of " The Return" whichdrawsheavilyon the conventional treatment of the subject in earlierfu, and the break in the regular meterat that pointmakes themeven moreobtrusive.They may be justifiedby considering them as a breathingspace, a pause beforethe introduction of the main themeto whichthe concluding lines are devoted. Withoutthemthe transition fromconversations and books to the observations of naturethat inspirethe formulation of his philosophy of lifewouldperhapsbe too abrupt. The final section (lines 45-60) of "The Return" is usually referred to the poem " Substance,Shadow,and Spirit" wherethe same themeof acceptanceof one's lot in the face of unavoidable death receivesits supremestatement.In both poems the point of departure is the recurrent cycleof the seasons; this association in lines47-8 I admirethe seasonablenessof nature And am movedto thinkthatmylifewillcometo its close is made moreexplicitin the openinglines of Substance'smessage to Shadow: 350 Heaven and Earth endureforever, Hills and streamsneverchange. Grass and treesobservea constantrhythm: Frost withers and dew restores them. Man is said to be the most sentient being But he alone is not like this. By chancehe appearsin the world And suddenlyis gone,to return no more.
350
Ibid.,2.la-b.
229
This is the premiseon whichT'AO Ch'ien based his philosophy. in his several statements of that philosophy The inconsistencies his premise. Someattitudes toward moods and reflect changing timesit is fear: 351 I constantly lest the Great Change take me worry Beforemy vital powershave declined. he advocatesmakinga name that willoutlastdeath:852 Sometimes That fameshould end whenthe body dies on fire. Is a thought that sets my emotions Do good and theywilllove you afteryou are gone Is thisnot worth youreveryeffort? Most oftenhe reachesforthe wine bottle: 353 I hope you willtake my advice When wineis offered, don't refuse.
": 3 Return
"Spirit" offersa solution which is closest to that of "The harmsmy life Too much thinking over to fate Simplyturnyourself the GreatChange Follow the waves within Neitherhappy nor yet afraid. Whenyou shouldgo, thensimplygo fuss. Withoutany unnecessary
The bleaknessof thisStoicismis replacedby joyous acceptancein " The Return." It is interesting to see how the two statements, different emotional tones. The essentiallyalike, take on very harshnessof Spirit's solutionlies in the refusalto considerany the poem attention of the frivolous pleasuresof life. Throughout focusedon the idea of death. By recoiling is uncompromisingly fromdeath, both Substance and Shadow had implied that life might be desirable, but Spirit removes even this consolation.
331 35l2 353 3"
Ibid., 3.16b. Ibid., 2.2a. Ibid., 2.lb. Ibid., 2.2b.
230
JAMES ROBERT IHIGHTOWER
" Neitherhappy norafraid,"one mustfacelifeas he meetsdeath, " withoutany unnecessary fuss." The penaltyforthe enjoyment of lifeis the fearof death,and Spiritwouldbe above joy and fear. In " The Return" T'Ao achievesa largersynthesis wherethere is room forpresentpleasuresand wheredeath has become only another manifestation of the spontaneous,the natural-that whichin lifeis his delight;hence death too can be acceptedjoyfully. There are no uncertainties left,not because of indifference to what may happen,but because whateverhappens to the man is a sourceofhappiness. who sees lifeand deathin thisperspective The exalted mood created in the last lines of " The Return" appears seldom in T'AO'S poetry,and its philosophyis contradicted in poems whichhe certainly wrotelater in life. But the inconsistency whichis the bane of the philosopher is the poet's privilege. His achievementin making a conventionalformthe vehicle for a uniquely personal expressiondeservesthe highest praise.

The Fu of Tao Chien

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Harvard-Yenching Institute

THE FU OF T'AO CH'IEN

JAMES ROBERT HIGHTOWER

Fragments of these two fu by CHANG Heng and Ts'AI Yung

Ah, the chaste beautyof this alluring woman!6

4J4). f> J~ >

( Ch'iianHou-Han wen (CHHW) 053.9b

Ts'AI Yung (CHHW 69.4b)

THE FU OF T'AO CH'IEN

" "**4 to be related to SUNG Yii'S " Goddess

In a thousandgenerations she has no peer, Surpassingancientand modern, she shinesalone.??

Heng, lines 3-4:gryjW

: cf.Ts'AI Yung,line2: cf. note 13.

THE FU OF T'AO CH'1EN

was the wifeof King Chao of Ch'u who refused to leave

This common occursin "The Nine Declarations" expression

JAMES ROBERT HIGHTOWER

variously identified as a kind of plum and as the amelanchierasiatica,

THE FU OF T'AO CH'IEN

in the title. YEN K'o-chun

cf. notes13, 20, 32.

JAMES ROBERT HIGHTOWER

28, 37. tMff~Joi4:cf.notes

THE FU OF T'AO CH'IEN

JAMES ROBERT HIGHTOWER

Putting a Stop to Desires 63

No. 57/2: Shihching

THE FU OF T'AO CH'IEN

"The leafless poplarputs forth sprouts;

JAMES ROBERT HIGHTOWER

In conduct 81 and charming. gracious

CSKW 13.4a. cf. notes 13, 20, 32, 43, 66.

(231-273), pAF CCW 59.4a.

of "If the myriad phenomena CSKW 44.10a-llb. It concludes,

THE FU OF T'AO CH'IEN

JAMES ROBERT HIGHTOWER

THE FU OF T'AO CH'IEN

In uncertainty ofmind and discomposure

Cf. rWANGTs'an, line 10.

JAMES ROBERT HIGHTOWER

A tf f"J.7XZ rFU,f* X.?Rt

4 , fi,4f PIR, Y,EeXt

THE FU OF T'AO CH'IEN

afar. 121 from 70 I mustlookat yoursleeve

that "I wouldlike to be the shadow

For rf3j cf. "The Goddess" (WH 19.9a):

JAMES ROBERT HIGHTOWER

cf. YING Yang, line 30:

occurs in a similar context in oneofCHIANG Yen's untitled poems R

CHU Ch'i-feng(TT 2767) lists a groupof similarbinoms.

THE FU OF T'AO CH'IEN

lency Hsieh's MountainPavilion" * 514I

cf.Ts'AO Chih,line 10 and note54. cf. WANG Ts'an, line7: 't+Z:yg.

(WH 16.14a). cf. notes 38, 68; also

Hsiang-ju's " Ch'ang-men fu

Chi nLg( "Lament for the

JAMES ROBERT HIGHTOWER

end.145 144 at the world's Lodgemyaspirations

THE FU OF T'AO CH'IEN

JAMES ROBERT HIGHTOWER

THE FU OF T'AO CH'IEN

<AM, attributed respectively to SUNG Yii and SSU-MA Hsiang-

JAMES ROBERT HIGHTOWER