Chinese Poems Part 15

[60] General Ho K'u-ping, died 117 B.C., Commander of the Armies of Han Wu Ti in several victorious campaigns against the Hsiung-nu.

[61] Lan-tien, a district in Shen-si, famous for its jade.

[62] Ta-tsin, the Roman Empire.

[63] A military officer of the Han Dynasty, holding a rank similar to that of Captain-General.

_The Lady Chao-Chiun_[64]

BY EO YANG SIU

SONG DYNASTY (A.D. 960-1278)

The Court of Han which shone with beauty rare Of high-born women dowered with faces fair, Had one within it, yet unknown to fame, Of lowly fortune but of gentle name.

Now every flower had spared some hue or grace To form Chao-Chiun's divinely lovely face; But courtier's greed had barred the Palace gate, Which Chao-Chiun's father would not try to sate.

Nor could the maid herself her beauty flaunt, And hold her fair name light for gold or taunt; Her Royal Master, therefore, did but jibe At portraits of her, painted for a bribe.

And so this peerless girl was left alone, Who might have shared Yuen's imperial throne.

But Yen-Show's greed at last itself betrayed, And charges grave against him were arrayed;

Then traitor-like, as harried fox, or doe, He fled the Court to help the Northern foe; And with true portraits of the lovely maid, He fired the Tartar Chief his plans to aid.

Abetted by this courtier, wise and arch, The Tartar armies crossed the Emperor's march, And devastated all the country near, From which the people fled in piteous fear.

The Han King, conscious of his waning power, Now sought for terms of peace in danger's hour; And these were granted, if, with parlance brief The Lady w.a.n.g would wed the Tartar chief.

But ere the peerless maiden left her home, To brave the mountains and the desert roam, The Emperor saw her, and his heart stood still, Yet basely feared to thwart the Tartar's will.

The silence pa.s.sed, he raved in pa.s.sion's whirl, And slew the painter who had limned the girl; But useless were such puny acts, and cruel, Which to a burning throne were added fuel.

For how could monarch, who perceived no more, Of things which happened near his Palace door, Expect to force the Hun to own his sway, Encamped in strength a thousand miles away?

And so Chao-Chiun, beneath her weary load, With royal guards began the endless road, Watering with tears each lowly wayside flower, The sport, alas! of beauty's fateful power.

[64] Chao-Chiun, or w.a.n.g Chao-Chiun, was a very beautiful girl who was precluded from entering the presence of the Emperor Yuan (Han Yuan Ti) by an avaricious courtier, Mao Yen-sheo, who bribed the court painter to present ugly portraits of Chao-Chiun to the Emperor, because her family would not pay the large sums of money he demanded. Afterwards Mao Yen-sheo's wiles became known to the Emperor, and he fled to the Khan of the Hsiung-nu to whom he showed a true portrait of Chao-Chiun. Thereupon the Khan invaded China with a great army, and demanded the Lady Chao-Chiun as the price of peace. Afraid to refuse, the Chinese Emperor surrendered Chao-Chiun to the Tartar chief who then retired beyond the Wall. According to a popular but untrustworthy version of this story, Chao-Chiun, when she reached the Heh-long Kiang (Amur River), jumped into the stream rather than cross the boundary which separated her from her native land.

_Night on the Lake_

BY SU TONG-PO

SONG DYNASTY (A.D. 960-1278)

The breeze is sighing through the water gra.s.s, As up and down the narrow deck I pa.s.s; And through the rarest mist of Autumn night The rain-moon floods the lake with pallid light.

The boatmen and the water-fowl sleep sound, And in their dreams see other worlds around; The big fish startled sneak in haste away, As flurried fox flees from the dawning day.

In depths of night it seems the human soul Its sway o'er other things has lost control; I and my shadow play upon the strand That marks the boundary of the silent land.

We watch the secret tides in noiseless work, Forming new isles where earthworms safely lurk; And on the moon--a monstrous pearl--we gaze, Looming through willow-trees in silver haze.

Amidst our life of changing grief and woe, A glimpse of purer worlds will come and go, As on this lake when nature's holy power Speaks to us in the dark and silent hour.

But hark, the c.o.c.k crows; rings the temple bell!

And birds awake in mountain, plain, and dell; The guardship beats its drum, the boats unmoor, While din and shouting on the hearer pour.

_The Fishermen's Song_

PRIZE POEM, BY CHENG-CHENG

T'SING DYNASTY

The sun is sinking in the west, Bidding the fishermen think of rest.

'To-day,' they cry, 'no need to search, The people rush to buy our perch; Of sh.e.l.l-fish, too, we are bereft, We've scarcely half a basket left!'

And at the piles of silver bright They laugh, and shout, 'Good wine to-night!'

'We'll with the village wits combine And drink our fill of "Luh-e"[65] wine; Then if we feel inclined to roam, The fisher-boys shall lead us home.'

So off they go to the evening meal, And 'Luh-e' wine is drunk with zeal; And after draining every gla.s.s, They doff the fishers' coat of gra.s.s, And with wild shouts a net they seize And rush out in the evening breeze, Intent on catching the mirrored moon, Bright in the sea as the sun at noon.

Tricked by the moon to their hearts' content, Sh.o.r.eward they move on music bent; The pipes of Pan, and flutes, come out, Wine and music have a fine bout; Voices and instruments combined Soon leave no discord undefined!

After the shouting and the din Even fishermen had to turn in; So spreading their sails in a sandy cave, And soothed by the sound of the lapping wave, Tired and languorous the reveller yields To sleep, and dreams of Elysian fields!

[65] 'Luh-e,' the name of a famous wine.

_The Students' Ramble_[66]

BY LU-TEH

T'SING DYNASTY

No longer could the blue-robed students cling To essay, or angle, or such like thing; The white-fleeced sky in depths of sapphire blue, The mother-earth, in Spring's bewitching hue, Enticed them forth to ponder fresher lore, And gather strength from nature's boundless store, So leaving college desk, and book, and file, They tramp the green-robed country--mile on mile; But resting oft within some shady nook, By side of mountain rill or babbling brook.

The voice of streams, the sweet air after showers On new-mown gra.s.s, and earth, and fragrant flowers; The depths of s.p.a.ce, the everlasting hills; The unseen power that moves, and guides, and stills All animated nature's varied life And law reveals where all seemed useless strife-- Their sense enthralled, and coursing with their blood Through every vein in strong impetuous flood-- Divine and human, on this radiant day, Seemed nearer kin than even when we pray In marble temples to the unknown G.o.d, Or wayside fanes, by common people trod.

But homeward now reluctantly they turn, Yet incense still to nature would they burn; So as they wind through woods of pine-trees tall, By willow-bordered streams where catkins fall, Their pent-up feelings, buried deep and long, Find voice in cla.s.sic chants from ancient song.

As chorus sweet, and solo clear and rare, Are wafted softly on the evening air, The water-fowl on village ponds and streams Are gently wakened from their summer dreams; While mingled with the scholars' choral lay The songs of peasants speed the closing day; And bird, or insect,--each its anthem sings, And little gift of praise to Heaven brings: Then as the sun is sinking in the west, And lighting up the regions of the blest, From nature's altar falls the sacred fire, And higher aims each student's heart inspire.