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In the spring of 758 the imperial court of China, now under Emperor Suzong, returned to Chang’an after its recapture from the rebel forces of An Lushan. To celebrate one of the first dawn court audiences in the imperial palace, Jia Zhi, an official high enough in the Secretariat to attend, wrote a poem. An auspicious thing to do—and a sensible move, careerwise.
And then a couple poets “matched” Jia’s poem, some of whom you may recognize: Cen Can, Du Fu, and Wang Wei. “Matching” (sometimes translated as “harmonizing”) was a poetry game where you respond to someone else’s poem, usually using the same rhyme-words. Sometimes, as in all three of these, they use different rhymes and so are only “matching” the content, not the form. All of them are also looking to their careers, each in his own way.
I can’t tell the order the responses were written, or even if they were done together, but Cen and Du were friends, and Wang and Du have details in common that the other poems don’t, suggesting one of them had read the other’s. Beyond that, I’m purely guessing at a reading sequence. FWIW, my base text for 300 Tang Poems puts Cen’s before Wang’s (the other two aren’t included), but said text pays more attention to date of birth than of composition.
Early Morning Court at Daming Palace, Presented to Colleagues in the Two Bureaus, Jia Zhi
Silvery candles, misty heavens, purple lanes are long.
Forbidden City looks like spring, the daybreak deep, deep green.
Thousands of graceful willow ribbons are layers of green stripes—
Hundreds of flowing oriole songs encircle Jianzhang Palace.
The swords and pendants clink with every step in the Jade Courtyard.
In robe and cap, I must resist the smoke of incense burners.
All cleanse themselves in merciful waves above the Phoenix Pool.
Dawn audience: I ink my brush, attend my lord and ruler.
( Three replies, original texts, and notes )
---L.
Index of Chinese translations
Subject quote from The Fall of Rome, W.H. Auden.
And then a couple poets “matched” Jia’s poem, some of whom you may recognize: Cen Can, Du Fu, and Wang Wei. “Matching” (sometimes translated as “harmonizing”) was a poetry game where you respond to someone else’s poem, usually using the same rhyme-words. Sometimes, as in all three of these, they use different rhymes and so are only “matching” the content, not the form. All of them are also looking to their careers, each in his own way.
I can’t tell the order the responses were written, or even if they were done together, but Cen and Du were friends, and Wang and Du have details in common that the other poems don’t, suggesting one of them had read the other’s. Beyond that, I’m purely guessing at a reading sequence. FWIW, my base text for 300 Tang Poems puts Cen’s before Wang’s (the other two aren’t included), but said text pays more attention to date of birth than of composition.
Early Morning Court at Daming Palace, Presented to Colleagues in the Two Bureaus, Jia Zhi
Silvery candles, misty heavens, purple lanes are long.
Forbidden City looks like spring, the daybreak deep, deep green.
Thousands of graceful willow ribbons are layers of green stripes—
Hundreds of flowing oriole songs encircle Jianzhang Palace.
The swords and pendants clink with every step in the Jade Courtyard.
In robe and cap, I must resist the smoke of incense burners.
All cleanse themselves in merciful waves above the Phoenix Pool.
Dawn audience: I ink my brush, attend my lord and ruler.
( Three replies, original texts, and notes )
---L.
Index of Chinese translations
Subject quote from The Fall of Rome, W.H. Auden.