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【七言古诗】白居易:长恨歌

作者:白居易   来源:  
内容摘要:《长恨歌》作者:白居易汉皇重色思倾国,御宇多年求不得。杨家有女初长成,养在深闺人未识。天生丽质难自弃,一朝选在君王侧。回眸一笑百媚生,六宫粉黛无颜色。春寒赐浴华清池,温泉水滑洗凝脂。侍儿扶起娇无力,始是新承恩泽时。云鬓花颜金步摇,芙蓉帐暖度春宵。春宵苦短高起,从此君王不早朝。承...
          《长恨歌》 
         作者:白居易 

汉皇重色思倾国,御宇多年求不得。 

杨家有女初长成,养在深闺人未识。 

天生丽质难自弃,一朝选在君王侧。 

回眸一笑百媚生,六宫粉黛无颜色。 

春寒赐浴华清池,温泉水滑洗凝脂。 

侍儿扶起娇无力,始是新承恩泽时。 

云鬓花颜金步摇,芙蓉帐暖度春宵。 

春宵苦短日高起,从此君王不早朝。 

承欢侍宴无闲暇,春从春游夜专夜。 

后宫佳丽三千人,三千宠爱在一身。 

金屋妆成娇侍夜,玉楼宴罢醉和春。 

姊妹弟兄皆列土,可怜光彩生门户。 

遂令天下父母心,不重生男重生女。 

骊宫高处入青云,仙乐风飘处处闻。 

缓歌谩舞凝丝竹,尽日君王看不足。 

渔阳鼙鼓动地来,惊破霓裳羽衣曲。 

九重城阙烟尘生,千乘万骑西南行。 

翠华摇摇行复止,西出都门百余里。 

六军不发无奈何,宛转蛾眉马前死。 

花钿委地无人收,翠翘金雀玉搔头。 

君王掩面救不得,回看血泪相和流。 

黄埃散漫风萧索,云栈萦纡登剑阁。 

峨嵋山下少人行,旌旗无光日色薄。 

蜀江水碧蜀山青,圣主朝朝暮暮情。 

行宫见月伤心色,夜雨闻铃肠断声。 

天旋地转回龙驭,到此踌躇不能去。 

马嵬坡下泥土中,不见玉颜空死处。 

君臣相顾尽沾衣,东望都门信马归。 

归来池苑皆依旧,太液芙蓉未央柳。 

芙蓉如面柳如眉,对此如何不泪垂。 

春风桃李花开日,秋雨梧桐叶落时。 

西宫南内多秋草,落叶满阶红不扫。 

梨园弟子白发新,椒房阿监青娥老。 

夕殿萤飞思悄然,孤灯挑尽未成眠。 

迟迟钟鼓初长夜,耿耿星河欲曙天。 

鸳鸯瓦冷霜华重,翡翠衾寒谁与共。 

悠悠生死别经年,魂魄不曾来入梦。 

临邛道士鸿都客,能以精诚致魂魄。 

为感君王辗转思,遂教方士殷勤觅。 

排空驭气奔如电,升天入地求之遍。 

上穷碧落下黄泉,两处茫茫皆不见。 

忽闻海上有仙山,山在虚无缥渺间。 

楼阁玲珑五云起,其中绰约多仙子。 

中有一人字太真,雪肤花貌参差是。 

金阙西厢叩玉扃,转教小玉报双成。 

闻道汉家天子使,九华帐里梦魂惊。 

揽衣推枕起徘徊,珠箔银屏迤逦开。 

云鬓半偏新睡觉,花冠不整下堂来。 

风吹仙袂飘飘举,犹似霓裳羽衣舞。 

玉容寂寞泪阑干,梨花一枝春带雨。 

含情凝睇谢君王,一别音容两渺茫。 

昭阳殿里恩爱绝,蓬莱宫中日月长。 

回头下望人寰处,不见长安见尘雾。 

惟将旧物表深情,钿合金钗寄将去。 

钗留一股合一扇,钗擘黄金合分钿。 

但教心似金钿坚,天上人间会相见。 

临别殷勤重寄词,词中有誓两心知。 

七月七日长生殿,夜半无人私语时。 

在天愿作比翼鸟,在地愿为连理枝。 

天长地久有时尽,此恨绵绵无绝期。 

【注解】: 1、汉皇:指唐明皇。 2、御宇:治理天下。 3、姊妹句:杨贵妃受宠后,其姊妹三人皆封夫人。 4、渔阳鼙鼓:指安禄山在渔阳起兵叛乱。 5、薄:临近、靠近。 6、信:任凭。 7、碧落:道家称天空为碧落。 8、玉扃:门闩。 9、迤逦开:一路敞开。 10、阑干:纵横。 

【韵译】: 

唐明皇好色,日夜想找个绝代佳人; 统治全国多年,竟找不到一个称心。 

杨玄瑛有个女儿才长成,十分娇艳; 养在深闺中,外人不知她美丽绝伦。 

天生就的一身丽质,很难长久弃置; 有朝一日,被选在皇帝身边做妃嫔。 

她回眸一笑时,千姿百态娇媚横生; 六宫妃嫔,一个个都黯然失色万分。 

春寒料峭,皇上赐她到华清池沐浴; 温泉水润,洗涤着凝脂一般的肌身。 

侍女搀扶她,如出水芙蓉软弱娉婷; 初蒙皇恩润泽时,就这般娇娆涔涔。 

鬓发如云颜脸似花,头戴着金步摇; 芙蓉帐里,与皇上度着温暖的春宵。 

情深春宵恨太短,一觉睡到日高起; 君王深恋儿女情,从此再也不早朝。 

承受君欢侍君饮,终日陪伴无闲时; 春从春游夜专守,双双形影不分离。 

后宫妃嫔有三千,个个姿色象女神; 三千美色不动心,皇上只宠她一人。 

金屋中阿娇妆成,夜夜娇侍不离分; 玉楼上酒酣宴罢,醉意伴随着春心。 

姊妹封夫人兄弟封公卿,封地受奖; 杨家门户生光彩,令人羡慕又向往。 

使得天下的父母,个个改变了心愿; 谁都看轻生男孩,只图生个小千金。 

骊山北麓华清宫,玉宇琼楼耸入云; 清风过处飘仙乐,四面八方都可闻。 

轻歌慢舞多合拍,管弦旋律尽传神; 君王终日都观看,欲心难足无止境。 

忽然渔阳战鼓响,惊天动地震宫阙; 惊坏跳舞的歌伎,停奏霓裳羽衣曲。 

九重城楼与宫阙,烽火连天杂烟尘; 千军万马护君王,直向西南急逃奔。

翠华龙旗一路摇,队伍走走又停停; 西出都城百来里,来到驿站马嵬亭。 

龙武军和羽林军,六军不走无奈何; 缠绵委屈的美人,最终马前丧了生。 

贵妃头上装饰品,抛撒满地无人问; 翠翘金雀玉搔头,珍贵头饰一根根。 

君王宠爱救不了,掩面哭成个泪人; 回头再看此惨状,血泪交和涕淋淋。 

秋风萧索扫落叶,黄土尘埃已消遁; 回环曲折穿栈道,队伍登上了剑门。 

峨嵋山下路险隘,蜀道艰难少人行; 旌旗黯黯无光彩,日色淡淡近黄昏。 

泱泱蜀江水碧绿,巍巍蜀山郁青青; 圣主伤心思贵妃,朝朝暮暮恋旧情。 

行宫之内见月色,总是伤心怀悲恨; 夜雨当中闻铃声,谱下悲曲雨霖铃。 

天旋地转战乱平,君王起驾回京城; 到了马嵬车踌躇,不忍离去断肠人。 

萋萋马嵬山坡下,荒凉黄土坟冢中, 美人颜容再不见,地上只有她的坟。 

君看臣来臣望君,相看个个泪沾衣; 东望京都心伤悲,任凭马儿去驰归。

 回到长安进宫看,荷池花苑都依旧; 太液池上芙蓉花,未央宫中垂杨柳。 

芙蓉恰似她的面,柳叶好比她的眉; 睹物怎能不思人,触景不免双目垂。 

春风吹开桃李花,物是人非不胜悲; 秋雨滴落梧桐叶,场面寂寞更惨凄。 

兴庆宫和甘露殿,处处萧条长秋草; 宫内落叶满台阶,长久不见有人扫。 

当年梨园的弟子,个个新添了白发; 后妃宫中的女官,红颜退尽人衰老。 

夜间殿堂流萤飞,思想消沉心茫然; 终夜思念睡不着,挑尽了孤灯心草。 

细数迟迟钟鼓声,愈数愈觉夜漫长; 遥望耿耿星河天,直到东方吐曙光。 

冷冰冰的鸳鸯瓦,霜花覆盖了几重; 寒刺刺的翡翠被,谁与皇上来共用? 

生离死别远悠悠,至今已经过一年; 美人魂魄在何方,为啥不曾来入梦? 

四川有个名道士,正到长安来做客; 能用虔诚的道术,招引贵妃的魂魄。 

辗转相思好伤神,叫人对王表同情; 就叫方士去努力,专意殷勤去找寻。 

驾驭云气入空中,横来直去如闪电; 升天入地去寻求,天堂地府找个遍。 

找遍了整个碧空,找遍了整个黄泉; 天茫茫来地苍苍,找遍天地没看见。 

忽然听说东海上,有座仙山蓬莱山; 仙山耸立在云端,云来雾去缥渺间。 

玲珑剔透楼台阁,五彩祥云承托起; 天仙神女多无数,个个绰约又多姿。 

万千娇美仙女中,有个芳名叫太真; 肌肤如雪貌似花,仿佛是要找的人。 

方士在金阙西厢,叩开白玉的大门; 他托咐侍女小玉,叫双成通报一声。 

猛然听到通报说:唐朝天子来使者; 九华帐里太真仙,酣梦之中受震惊。 

推开睡枕揽外衣,匆忙起床乱徘徊; 珍珠廉子金银屏,一路层层都敞开。 

乌去发髯半偏着,看来刚刚才睡醒; 花冠不整都不顾,匆匆跑到堂下来。 

轻风吹拂扬衣袖,步履轻轻飘飘举; 好象当年在宫中,跳起霓裳羽衣舞。 

寂寞忧愁颜面上,泪水纵横四处洒; 活象春天新雨后,一枝带雨的梨花。 

含情凝视天子使,托他深深谢君王: 马嵬坡上长别后,音讯颜容两渺茫。 

昭阳殿里恩爱情,年深月久已断绝; 蓬莱宫中度时日,仙境幽幽万古长。 

回头俯身向下看,滚滚黄尘罩人间; 只见尘雾一层层,京都长安看不见。 

只有寄去定情物,表表我深情一往; 钿盒金钗寄你去,或许能慰藉君王; 

金钗儿我留一半,钿合儿我留一扇; 擘金钗来分钿盒,一人一半各收藏。 

但愿我们两颗心,有如钗钿一样坚; 不管天上或人间,终有一日会相见; 

临别殷勤托方士,寄语君王表情思。 寄语之中有誓词,唯有他俩心里知。 

当年七月七日夜,我俩相会长生殿; 夜半无人两私语,双双对天立誓言: 

在天上,我们愿作比翼齐飞鹣鹣鸟; 在地上,我们甘为永不分离连理枝。 

即使是天长地久,总会有终了之时; 唯有这生死遗恨,却永远没有尽期。 

【评析】: 这首诗是作者的名篇,作于元和元年(806)。全诗形象地叙述了唐玄宗与杨贵 妃的爱情悲剧。诗人借历史人物和传说,创造了一个回旋宛转的动人故事,并通过塑 造的艺术形象,再现了现实生活的真实,感染了千百年来的读者。

诗的主题是“长恨”。从“汉皇重色思倾国”起第一部分,叙述安史之乱前,玄 宗如何好色、求色,终于得到了杨氏。而杨氏由于得宠,鸡犬升天。并反复渲染玄宗 之纵欲,沉于酒色,不理朝政,因而酿成了“渔阳鼙鼓动地来”的安史之乱。这是悲 剧的基础,也是“长恨”的内因。

“六军不发无奈何”起为第二部分,具体描述了安史之乱起后,玄宗的仓皇出逃 西蜀,引起了“六军”驻马要求除去祸国殃民的贵妃“宛转娥眉马前死”是悲剧的形 成。这是故事的关键情节。杨氏归阴后,造成玄宗寂寞悲伤和缠绵悱恻的相思。诗以 酸恻动人的语调,描绘了玄宗这一“长恨”的心情,揪人心痛,催人泪下。

“临邛道士鸿都客”起为第三部分,写玄宗借道士帮助于虚无缥渺的蓬莱仙山中 寻到了杨氏的踪影。在仙景中再现了杨氏“带雨梨花”的姿容,并以含情脉脉,托物 寄词,重申前誓,表示愿作“比翼鸟”、“连理枝”,进一步渲染了“长恨”的主 题。结局又以“天和地久有时尽,此恨绵绵无绝期”深化了主题,加重了“长恨”的 分量。

全诗写情缠绵悱恻,书恨杳杳无穷。文字哀艳动人,声调悠扬宛转,千古名篇, 常读常新。

令人丁毅、方超在《(长恨歌)评价管窥》一文中认为,此诗是白居易借对历史 人物的咏叹,寄托自己的心情之作。文章说,诗人年轻时与出身普通人家的姑娘湘灵 相爱,但由于门第观念和风尚阻碍,没能正式结婚。分手时,诗人写了“不得哭,潜 别离;不得语,暗相思;两心之外无人知……彼此甘心无后期”的沉痛诗句。文章指 出,《长恨歌》作于作者婚前几个月,诗人为失去与湘灵相会之可能而痛苦。为此, 丁、方二人认为,《长恨歌》并不是对历史的记录与评价。“在天愿作比翼鸟,在地 愿为连理枝。天长地久有时尽,此恨绵绵无绝期”,正是诗人借前代帝妃的悲剧,抒 发自己的痛苦与深情。

从“诗言志”,“诗传情”上说,丁、方二人之说不无道理。但就作品所反映的 历史真实和社会意义以及千百年来的影响而言,不能不说它是历史的记录和对历史事 件的评价。至于白氏自身有爱情悲剧的经历,无疑有助于他对李杨爱情悲剧的体察和 分析,才使其诗写得肌理细腻,情真意切,赋予无穷的艺术魅力。

【作者介绍】
  白居易(772--846),字乐天,号香山居士。自号“酔吟先生”。祖籍太原[今属山西]。到了其曾祖父时,又迁居下邽(音guī)(今陕西渭南北)。白居易的祖父白湟曾任巩县[河南巩义]县令,与当时的新郑[属河南]县令是好友。见新郑山川秀美,民风淳朴,白湟十分喜爱,就举家迁移到新郑城西的东郭宅村(今东郭寺)。
  唐代宗大历七年(公元772年2月28日)正月二十日,白居易在东郭宅降生了。小时候聪颖过人,5/6岁即学作诗,9岁便懂音韵。由于“家贫多故”,11/12岁便颠沛流离,接触了人民的苦难生活。后到长安应试,以《赋得古原草送别》得顾况赏识。落第后回家伏案苦读,竟至口舌生疮,手肘结茧。27岁中进士,因取中“拔萃”,授秘书省校书郎。唐宪宗元和年间,曾任翰林学士、左拾遗及左赞善大夫(东宫属官,掌讽谏太子过失)。元和十年贬江州司马,后移忠州刺史。唐穆宗时,由中书舍人出任杭州刺史、苏州刺史。晚年以太子宾客及太子少傅分司东都。出任武宗会昌六年(846年)八月卒于洛阳[属河南],享年75岁。著有《白氏长庆集》七十一卷。以44岁为界,之前抱定“兼济天下”之思,之后则“独善其身”。
  晚年官至太子少傅,谥号“文”,世称白傅、白文公。人称“诗魔”,和好友元稹在文学上积极倡导新乐府运动,主张“文章合为时而著,歌诗合为事而作”,强调继承《诗经》的优良传统和杜甫的创作精神,反对六朝以来的“嘲风雪,弄花草”的作品,写下了不少感叹时世、反映人民疾苦的诗篇,即所谓“讽喻诗”(《新乐府》50首《秦中吟》10首),其中有反应人民疾苦的《观刈麦》《缭绫》等,有讽刺横征暴敛的《重赋》《杜陵叟》等,有指责贪官强暴的《宿紫阁山北》《卖炭翁》等,有揭露豪门贵族荒淫骄横的《轻肥》《买花》等,有表现对边事和边民关心的《西凉使》《缚戎人》等,有反对穷兵黩武的《新丰折臂翁》,有同情妇女悲惨命运的《上扬白发人》《井底引银瓶》《陵园妾》等。是我国文学史上相当重要的诗人,当时对外国也有一定影响. 。其艺术成就最高的是长篇叙事抒情诗。
  白居易的通俗好懂,传说“白傅作诗,老妇皆懂”。
  当顾况看到递来的诗稿《赋得古原草送别》署名白居易时,说:“长安米贵,‘白居’不‘易’啊!”当看到“野火烧不尽,春风吹又生”时,马上赞叹:“有这样的诗才,实在难得,就是走遍天下‘白居’也‘易’啊!”
  主要作品
  《长恨歌》《琵琶行》《赋得古原草送别》《钱塘湖春行》《暮江吟》《忆江南》《大林寺桃花》《同李十一醉忆元九》《直中书省》《长相思》《题岳阳楼》《观刈麦》《宫词》 《问刘十九》《买花》 《自河南经乱关内阻饥兄弟离散各在一处因望》
  早年热心济世,强调诗歌的政治功能,并力求通俗,所作《新乐府》、《秦中吟》共六十首,确实做到了“唯歌生民病”、“句句必尽规”,与杜甫的“三吏”、“三别”同为著名的诗史。长篇叙事诗《长恨歌》、《琵琶行》则代表他艺术上的最高成就。中年在官场中受了挫折,“宦途自此心长别,世事从今口不开”,但仍写了许多好诗,为百姓做过许多好事,杭州西湖至今留着纪念他的白堤。晚年寄情山水,也写过一些小词。赠刘禹锡诗云: “古歌旧曲君休听, 听取新词《杨柳枝》”,可见他曾自度一些新词。其中《花非花》一首,颇具朦胧之美。
  文学创作
  后代剧作家也多有据白诗故事进行再创作,如白朴、洪升根据《长恨歌》分别作《梧桐雨》、《长生殿》;马致远、蒋士铨据《琵琶行》分别作《青衫泪》、《四弦秋》。白诗词句,也多为宋、元、明话本所采用。白居易不属韩柳文学团体,但也是新体古文的倡导者和创作者。其《策林》七十五篇,识见卓著,议论风发,词畅意深,是追踪贾谊《治安策》的政论文;《与元九书》洋洋洒洒,夹叙夹议,是唐代文学批评的重要文献。《草堂记》、《冷泉亭记》、《三游洞序》、《荔枝图序》等文,均文笔简洁,旨趣隽永。为唐代散文中的优秀之作。白居易还是词创作的有力推动者,《忆江南》、《浪淘沙》、《花非花》、《长相思》诸小令,为文人词发展开拓了道路。
  同诗仙李白、诗圣杜甫、诗豪刘禹锡、诗鬼李贺等,白居易被称为"诗魔"。
 
【英汉对照】
长恨歌
白居易
汉皇重色思倾国, 御宇多年求不得。
杨家有女初长成, 养在深闺人未识。
天生丽质难自弃, 一朝选在君王侧;
回眸一笑百媚生, 六宫粉黛无颜色。
春寒赐浴华清池, 温泉水滑洗凝脂;
侍儿扶起娇无力, 始是新承恩泽时。
云鬓花颜金步摇, 芙蓉帐暖度春宵;
春宵苦短日高起, 从此君王不早朝。
承欢侍宴无闲暇, 春从春游夜专夜。
后宫佳丽三千人, 三千宠爱在一身。
金星妆成娇侍夜, 玉楼宴罢醉和春。
姊妹弟兄皆列士, 可怜光彩生门户;
遂令天下父母心, 不重生男重生女。
骊宫高处入青云, 仙乐风飘处处闻;
缓歌慢舞凝丝竹, 尽日君王看不足。
渔阳鼙鼓动地来, 惊破霓裳羽衣曲。
九重城阙烟尘生, 千乘万骑西南行。
翠华摇摇行复止, 西出都门百余里。
六军不发无奈何? 宛转蛾眉马前死。
花钿委地无人收, 翠翘金雀玉搔头。
君王掩面救不得, 回看血泪相和流。
黄埃散漫风萧索, 云栈萦纡登剑阁。
峨嵋山下少人行, 旌旗无光日色薄。
蜀江水碧蜀山青, 圣主朝朝暮暮情。
行宫见月伤心色, 夜雨闻铃肠断声。
天旋地转回龙驭, 到此踌躇不能去。
马嵬坡下泥土中, 不见玉颜空死处。
君臣相顾尽沾衣, 东望都门信马归。
归来池苑皆依旧, 太液芙蓉未央柳;
芙蓉如面柳如眉, 对此如何不泪垂?
春风桃李花开日, 秋雨梧桐叶落时。
西宫南内多秋草, 落叶满阶红不扫。
梨园子弟白发新, 椒房阿监青娥老。
夕殿萤飞思悄然, 孤灯挑尽未成眠。
迟迟钟鼓初长夜, 耿耿星河欲曙天。
鸳鸯瓦冷霜华重, 翡翠衾寒谁与共?
悠悠生死别经年, 魂魄不曾来入梦。
临邛道士鸿都客, 能以精诚致魂魄;
为感君王辗转思, 遂教方士殷勤觅。
排空驭气奔如电, 升天入地求之遍;
上穷碧落下黄泉, 两处茫茫皆不见。
忽闻海上有仙山, 山在虚无缥缈间;
楼阁玲珑五云起, 其中绰约多仙子。
中有一人字太真, 雪肤花貌参差是。
金阙西厢叩玉扃, 转教小玉报双成。
闻道汉家天子使, 九华帐里梦魂惊。
揽衣推枕起徘徊, 珠箔银屏迤逦开,
云鬓半偏新睡觉, 花冠不整下堂来。
风吹仙袂飘飘举, 犹似霓裳羽衣舞;
玉容寂寞泪阑干, 梨花一枝春带雨。
含情凝睇谢君王, 一别音容两渺茫。
昭阳殿里恩爱绝, 蓬莱宫中日月长。
回头下望人寰处, 不见长安见尘雾。
唯将旧物表深情, 钿合金钗寄将去。
钗留一股合一扇, 钗擘黄金合分钿;
但教心似金钿坚, 天上人间会相见。
临别殷勤重寄词, 词中有誓两心知。
七月七日长生殿, 夜半无人私语时。
在天愿作比翼鸟, 在地愿为连理枝。
天长地久有时尽, 此恨绵绵无绝期。
 
A SONG OF UNENDING SORROW
Bai Juyi
China's Emperor, craving beauty that might shake an empire,
Was on the throne for many years, searching, never finding,
Till a little child of the Yang clan, hardly even grown,
Bred in an inner chamber, with no one knowing her,
But with graces granted by heaven and not to be concealed,
At last one day was chosen for the imperial household.
If she but turned her head and smiled, there were cast a hundred spells,
And the powder and paint of the Six Palaces faded into nothing.
...It was early spring. They bathed her in the FlowerPure Pool,
Which warmed and smoothed the creamy-tinted crystal of her skin,
And, because of her languor, a maid was lifting her
When first the Emperor noticed her and chose her for his bride.
The cloud of her hair, petal of her cheek, gold ripples of her crown when she moved,
Were sheltered on spring evenings by warm hibiscus curtains;
But nights of spring were short and the sun arose too soon,
And the Emperor, from that time forth, forsook his early hearings
And lavished all his time on her with feasts and revelry,
His mistress of the spring, his despot of the night.
There were other ladies in his court, three thousand of rare beauty,
But his favours to three thousand were concentered in one body.
By the time she was dressed in her Golden Chamber, it would be almost evening;
And when tables were cleared in the Tower of Jade, she would loiter, slow with wine.
Her sisters and her brothers all were given titles;
And, because she so illumined and glorified her clan,
She brought to every father, every mother through the empire,
Happiness when a girl was born rather than a boy.
...High rose Li Palace, entering blue clouds,
And far and wide the breezes carried magical notes
Of soft song and slow dance, of string and bamboo music.
The Emperor's eyes could never gaze on her enough-
Till war-drums, booming from Yuyang, shocked the whole earth
And broke the tunes of The Rainbow Skirt and the Feathered Coat.
The Forbidden City, the nine-tiered palace, loomed in the dust
From thousands of horses and chariots headed southwest.
The imperial flag opened the way, now moving and now pausing- -
But thirty miles from the capital, beyond the western gate,
The men of the army stopped, not one of them would stir
Till under their horses' hoofs they might trample those moth- eyebrows....
Flowery hairpins fell to the ground, no one picked them up,
And a green and white jade hair-tassel and a yellowgold hair- bird.
The Emperor could not save her, he could only cover his face.
And later when he turned to look, the place of blood and tears
Was hidden in a yellow dust blown by a cold wind.
... At the cleft of the Dagger-Tower Trail they crisscrossed through a cloud-line
Under Omei Mountain. The last few came.
Flags and banners lost their colour in the fading sunlight....
But as waters of Shu are always green and its mountains always blue,
So changeless was His Majesty's love and deeper than the days.
He stared at the desolate moon from his temporary palace.
He heard bell-notes in the evening rain, cutting at his breast.
And when heaven and earth resumed their round and the dragon car faced home,
The Emperor clung to the spot and would not turn away
From the soil along the Mawei slope, under which was buried
That memory, that anguish. Where was her jade-white face?
Ruler and lords, when eyes would meet, wept upon their coats
As they rode, with loose rein, slowly eastward, back to the capital.
...The pools, the gardens, the palace, all were just as before,
The Lake Taiye hibiscus, the Weiyang Palace willows;
But a petal was like her face and a willow-leaf her eyebrow --
And what could he do but cry whenever he looked at them?
...Peach-trees and plum-trees blossomed, in the winds of spring;
Lakka-foliage fell to the ground, after autumn rains;
The Western and Southern Palaces were littered with late grasses,
And the steps were mounded with red leaves that no one swept away.
Her Pear-Garden Players became white-haired
And the eunuchs thin-eyebrowed in her Court of PepperTrees;
Over the throne flew fire-flies, while he brooded in the twilight.
He would lengthen the lamp-wick to its end and still could never sleep.
Bell and drum would slowly toll the dragging nighthours
And the River of Stars grow sharp in the sky, just before dawn,
And the porcelain mandarin-ducks on the roof grow thick with morning frost
And his covers of kingfisher-blue feel lonelier and colder
With the distance between life and death year after year;
And yet no beloved spirit ever visited his dreams.
...At Lingqiong lived a Taoist priest who was a guest of heaven,
Able to summon spirits by his concentrated mind.
And people were so moved by the Emperor's constant brooding
That they besought the Taoist priest to see if he could find her.
He opened his way in space and clove the ether like lightning,
Up to heaven, under the earth, looking everywhere.
Above, he searched the Green Void, below, the Yellow Spring;
But he failed, in either place, to find the one he looked for.
And then he heard accounts of an enchanted isle at sea,
A part of the intangible and incorporeal world,
With pavilions and fine towers in the five-coloured air,
And of exquisite immortals moving to and fro,
And of one among them-whom they called The Ever True-
With a face of snow and flowers resembling hers he sought.
So he went to the West Hall's gate of gold and knocked at the jasper door
And asked a girl, called Morsel-of-Jade, to tell The Doubly- Perfect.
And the lady, at news of an envoy from the Emperor of China,
Was startled out of dreams in her nine-flowered, canopy.
She pushed aside her pillow, dressed, shook away sleep,
And opened the pearly shade and then the silver screen.
Her cloudy hair-dress hung on one side because of her great haste,
And her flower-cap was loose when she came along the terrace,
While a light wind filled her cloak and fluttered with her motion
As though she danced The Rainbow Skirt and the Feathered Coat.
And the tear-drops drifting down her sad white face
Were like a rain in spring on the blossom of the pear.
But love glowed deep within her eyes when she bade him thank her liege,
Whose form and voice had been strange to her ever since their parting --
Since happiness had ended at the Court of the Bright Sun,
And moons and dawns had become long in Fairy-Mountain Palace.
But when she turned her face and looked down toward the earth
And tried to see the capital, there were only fog and dust.
So she took out, with emotion, the pledges he had given
And, through his envoy, sent him back a shell box and gold hairpin,
But kept one branch of the hairpin and one side of the box,
Breaking the gold of the hairpin, breaking the shell of the box;
"Our souls belong together," she said, " like this gold and this shell --
Somewhere, sometime, on earth or in heaven, we shall surely
And she sent him, by his messenger, a sentence reminding him
Of vows which had been known only to their two hearts:
"On the seventh day of the Seventh-month, in the Palace of Long Life,
We told each other secretly in the quiet midnight world
That we wished to fly in heaven, two birds with the wings of one,
And to grow together on the earth, two branches of one tree."
Earth endures, heaven endures; some time both shall end,
While this unending sorrow goes on and on for ever.



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