延英殿玉灵芝诗三章章八句三: poem analysis and reading notes

Title: Analysis of "延英殿玉灵芝诗三章章八句" - Classical Chinese Poetry

Introduction

In the second year of the Shangyuan era (761 CE), a remarkable event occurred in the Tang imperial palace: a jade-like lingzhi mushroom sprouted from the throne in the Yanying Hall (延英殿). To the court and the emperor, this was no ordinary fungus—it was a heavenly omen, a sign that the cosmos smiled upon the reign of Emperor Suzong (唐肃宗, Lǐ Hēng). In response, the emperor himself took up the brush and composed a poem of three stanzas, each containing eight lines, to commemorate the auspicious marvel. That poem, titled Yanying Dian Yu Lingzhi Shi San Zhang Zhang Ba Ju (“Jade Lingzhi Poem at Yanying Hall, Three Stanzas of Eight Lines”), blends imperial grandeur, Daoist mysticism, and a deep sense of political and cosmic harmony. It stands as a fascinating artifact of Tang dynasty court poetry, revealing how rulers intertwined personal expression with dynastic propaganda and spiritual belief.

The Poem: Full Text and Translation

The poem consists of three elegant five-character regulated verses. Below, each stanza is presented with the original Chinese, pinyin, and a faithful English translation.

First Stanza

玉殿生灵芝

Yù diàn shēng língzhī

In the jade hall a lingzhi grows

煌煌发秀英

Huáng huáng fā xiù yīng

Brilliantly it puts forth exquisite blooms

祥光凝紫气

Xiáng guāng níng zǐ qì

Auspicious light congeals the purple vapors

瑞色映丹诚

Ruì sè yìng dān chéng

Propitious hues mirror a sincere crimson heart

天地欣和合

Tiāndì xīn héhé

Heaven and Earth rejoice in harmonious union

家邦庆永宁

Jiā bāng qìng yǒng níng

Dynasty and state celebrate eternal peace

皇心自昭鉴

Huáng xīn zì zhāo jiàn

The imperial heart itself is like a shining mirror

何必待仙灵

Hébì dài xiān líng

What need is there to wait for transcendent spirits?

Second Stanza

紫殿灵芝秀

Zǐ diàn língzhī xiù

In the purple palace the lingzhi flourishes

千年一遇奇

Qiān nián yī yù qí

A wonder encountered once in a thousand years

非因人力致

Fēi yīn rénlì zhì

Not brought about by human effort

信是帝心期

Xìn shì dì xīn qī

Truly it answers the sovereign’s heart’s expectation

叶捧三光耀

Yè pěng sān guāng yào

Leaves cupping the radiance of the Three Luminaries

根连五岳基

Gēn lián wǔ yuè jī

Roots joined to the foundations of the Five Sacred Peaks

小臣恭睹此

Xiǎo chén gōng dǔ cǐ

I, a petty official, reverently witness this

拜手献歌诗

Bài shǒu xiàn gē shī

Bowing low I offer this poem of praise

Third Stanza

灵芝生殿隅

Língzhī shēng diàn yú

The lingzhi grows in a corner of the hall

天子坐清都

Tiānzǐ zuò qīng dū

The Son of Heaven sits in his pure capital

神物呈嘉瑞

Shén wù chéng jiā ruì

A divine thing presents an auspicious omen

明时显盛谟

Míng shí xiǎn shèng mó

In an enlightened age it reveals a grand design

一茎三叶秀

Yī jīng sān yè xiù

One stem, three leaves — a glorious trinity

万岁九重呼

Wàn suì jiǔ chóng hū

“Long live the emperor!” echoes through the nine-tiered palace

愿上南山