Analysis of "咏怀古迹·其三" - Classical Chinese Poetry

Introduction

"咏怀古迹·其三" (Yǒng Huái Gǔ Jì · Qí Sān) is part of a famous series of poems by Du Fu (杜甫, 712–770), one of China's greatest poets from the Tang Dynasty. Known as the "Poet Sage," Du Fu wrote during a tumultuous period marked by the An Lushan Rebellion, which devastated the empire. This poem reflects on the legacy of Wang Zhaojun (王昭君), a Han Dynasty beauty sent to marry a Xiongnu chieftain as part of a political alliance. Through her story, Du Fu explores themes of exile, sacrifice, and the fleeting nature of glory, offering a poignant meditation on history and human suffering.

The Poem: Full Text and Translation

群山万壑赴荆门
Qún shān wàn hè fù Jīngmén
Countless mountains and valleys converge at Jingmen,

生长明妃尚有村
Shēngzhǎng Míngfēi shàng yǒu cūn
Where the village of Lady Ming (Zhaojun) still remains.

一去紫台连朔漠
Yī qù zǐ tái lián shuò mò
Once she left the royal palace for the northern deserts,

独留青冢向黄昏
Dú liú qīng zhǒng xiàng huánghūn
Leaving only her green grave beneath the twilight.

画图省识春风面
Huàtú shěng shí chūnfēng miàn
The emperor knew her spring-breeze beauty only through a portrait,

环佩空归月夜魂
Huánpèi kōng guī yuèyè hún
Her soul returns in vain, jade rings tinkling in the moonlight.

千载琵琶作胡语
Qiān zǎi pípá zuò hú yǔ
For a thousand years, her pipa sang in barbarian tongue,

分明怨恨曲中论
Fēnmíng yuànhèn qǔ zhōng lùn
Clearly, her resentment echoes in the music’s lament.

Line-by-Line Analysis

1. "Countless mountains... still remains"
   The opening lines juxtapose the grandeur of nature with the humble village of Wang Zhaojun, emphasizing how history reduces even legendary figures to fragments of memory.

2. "Once she left... beneath the twilight"
   "Purple terrace" (紫台) symbolizes the Han court, while "green grave" (青冢) refers to her burial mound in the grasslands. The imagery contrasts imperial splendor with exile’s loneliness.

3. "The emperor knew... in the moonlight"
   Du Fu critiques the emperor’s reliance on a flawed portrait (a historical anecdote claims Zhaojun was overlooked because a painter distorted her likeness). Her "soul returning" underscores unfulfilled longing.

4. "For a thousand years... music’s lament"
   The pipa, a Central Asian instrument, becomes a metaphor for cultural displacement. The "barbarian tongue" and "resentment" reflect her forced assimilation and enduring sorrow.

Themes and Symbolism

• Exile and Sacrifice: Zhaojun’s story mirrors Du Fu’s own displacement during the rebellion, highlighting the cost of political decisions on individuals.
• Transience of Power: The "green grave" and fading twilight symbolize how even beauty and royal favor succumb to time.
• Cultural Conflict: The pipa’s "foreign tongue" represents the tension between Han Chinese identity and frontier life.

Key symbols:
- Jingmen: A gateway between civilizations, echoing Zhaojun’s journey.
- Moonlight: A traditional motif for unresolved grief in Chinese poetry.

Cultural Context

Wang Zhaojun’s story was a well-known vanitas allegory in Tang literature. By revisiting it, Du Fu critiques the Tang court’s failures—drawing parallels between the Han Dynasty’s decline and his own era’s chaos. The poem also reflects Confucian values: loyalty (Zhaojun’s compliance with imperial orders) and the moral duty of rulers (the emperor’s negligence).

Conclusion

"咏怀古迹·其三" transcends its historical subject to speak universally about loss and the weight of memory. Du Fu’s mastery lies in blending vivid imagery (the grave at twilight, the pipa’s mournful song) with profound empathy for Zhaojun—and by extension, all victims of circumstance. Today, the poem resonates as a reminder of how art preserves voices that history might otherwise erase. Its closing lines, with their haunting musical lament, invite us to listen closely to the echoes of the past.