Analysis of "阿房宫赋" - Classical Chinese Poetry

Introduction

The Epang Palace Rhapsody (阿房宫赋, Āfáng Gōng Fù) is a famous prose-poem written by the Tang Dynasty scholar and poet Du Mu (杜牧, 803–852). Composed in the 9th century, it reflects on the rise and fall of the extravagant Epang Palace, built by the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty, Qin Shi Huang. The poem serves as a cautionary tale about arrogance, excess, and the inevitable collapse of unchecked power.

Du Mu was a master of the fu (赋) style—a form of rhymed prose blending poetry and essay. His work is celebrated for its vivid imagery, historical insight, and moral undertones. The Epang Palace Rhapsody remains one of the most studied pieces in Chinese literature, admired for its rhetorical brilliance and timeless warning about hubris.

The Poem: Full Text and Translation

Below is an excerpt from the Epang Palace Rhapsody, followed by a translation:

六王毕，四海一，蜀山兀，阿房出。
Liù wáng bì, sìhǎi yī, Shǔ shān wù, Āfáng chū.
The six kingdoms fell, the land was unified;
The Shu mountains were stripped bare—Epang Palace rose.

覆压三百余里，隔离天日。
Fù yā sānbǎi yú lǐ, gélí tiān rì.
It sprawled over three hundred leagues, blotting out sky and sun.

骊山北构而西折，直走咸阳。
Lí shān běi gòu ér xī zhé, zhí zǒu Xiányáng.
From Li Mountain’s north it wound westward, straight to Xianyang.

二川溶溶，流入宫墙。
Èr chuān róngróng, liú rù gōng qiáng.
Two rivers flowed, merging within its walls.

(Note: The full text is much longer, but this excerpt captures its essence.)

Line-by-Line Analysis

1. "六王毕，四海一" – The opening declares the Qin Dynasty’s conquest of six rival kingdoms, unifying China under one rule. The abrupt phrasing ("毕" bì, "ended") suggests the swift, brutal nature of Qin’s victory.

2. "蜀山兀，阿房出" – The forests of Shu were stripped bare (兀 wù, "bald") to build the palace, symbolizing nature’s exploitation for human vanity.

3. "覆压三百余里" – The palace’s vast scale ("three hundred leagues") emphasizes excess, while "blotting out sky and sun" suggests its oppressive grandeur.

4. "骊山北构而西折" – The architectural ambition—winding from Li Mountain to the capital—reflects Qin Shi Huang’s obsession with dominance.

5. "二川溶溶" – The rivers flowing into the palace walls symbolize the empire’s resources being consumed by decadence.

Themes and Symbolism

• The Folly of Excess: The poem critiques the Qin Dynasty’s extravagance, linking it to its downfall. The palace, a monument to arrogance, becomes a metaphor for unsustainable power.
• Nature vs. Human Hubris: The stripped mountains and diverted rivers highlight humanity’s destructive ambition.
• Historical Cycles: Du Mu implies that all empires, no matter how grand, are doomed to collapse under their own weight.

Cultural Context

The Epang Palace Rhapsody was written during the Tang Dynasty, a period of relative stability but also political corruption. Du Mu used the Qin Dynasty’s collapse (206 BCE) as a mirror for his own era, warning against complacency and waste.

The poem also reflects Confucian ideals of moderation and the Mandate of Heaven—the belief that rulers must govern justly or lose divine favor. The ruins of Epang Palace (burned down shortly after Qin Shi Huang’s death) became a symbol of this moral lesson.

Conclusion

Du Mu’s Epang Palace Rhapsody is a masterpiece of classical Chinese literature, blending poetic beauty with sharp historical critique. Its themes—hubris, ecological disregard, and the cyclical nature of power—remain strikingly relevant today.

For modern readers, the poem serves as a reminder that no empire, no matter how magnificent, is immune to collapse when built on exploitation and excess. Its enduring appeal lies in its universal warning: history repeats itself when lessons go unheeded.

Would you like a deeper dive into any section or a comparison with other fu poems? Let me know in the comments!