Analysis of "同玉真公主过大哥山池" – Classical Chinese Poetry

Introduction

The Tang Dynasty (618–907) is often celebrated as the golden age of Chinese poetry, a time when verse flowed from the brushes of emperors, ministers, and recluses alike. Among the countless poems exchanged at court, the quatrain “同玉真公主过大哥山池” (Accompanying Princess Yuzhen to Visit Elder Brother’s Mountain Pond) holds a delicate charm. It was composed by Zhang Yue (张说, 667–730), a prominent statesman and poet who served three Tang emperors, primarily Emperor Xuanzong. This poem was written as a yingzhi (应制) response — a harmonious reply to a poem composed by the emperor himself — during a graceful outing to the mountain estate of Li Chengqi, Emperor Xuanzong’s eldest brother, known as the Prince of Ning. Joining them was Princess Yuzhen, the emperor’s sister, a devoted Taoist nun who had renounced worldly life. The short poem captures a moment of refined leisure, blending courtly elegance with the Tang fascination for immortal realms, and remains a small gem of palace poetry.

The Poem: Full Text and Translation

池影摇歌扇
Chí yǐng yáo gē shàn
The pond’s reflection sways the singing fans;

山光入舞衣
Shān guāng rù wǔ yī
Mountain light seeps into the dancing robes.

一窥神仙境
Yī kuī shén xiān jìng
One single glimpse of this immortal realm —

何必更登危