Li Shangyin ~ Poet of the Tang Dynasty

[Julie]

Li Shangyin (李商隐; ca. 813–858), courtesy name Yishan (义山), was a Chinese poet of the late Tang Dynasty, born in Henei (now Qinyang, Henan). Along with Li He, he was much admired and “rediscovered” in the 20th century by the young Chinese writers for the imagist quality of his poems. He is particularly famous for his tantalizing “no title” (无题) poems.

Li had a moderately successful career in the imperial civil service, although he never obtained a high position, either because of factional disputes, or because of his association with Liu Fen (刘蕡), a prominent opponent of the eunuchs.

Li was a typical Late Tang poet: his works are sensuous, dense and allusive. The latter quality makes adequate translation extremely difficult. The political, biographical or philosophical implications supposed to be contained in some of his poems have been a subject of debate for many centuries in China.

His most famous and cryptic poem is called “Jin Se” (錦瑟) (the title is only taken from the first two characters of the poem, thus also a “no title” poem), which consists of 56 characters and a string of images. His “no title” poems are regarded as “pure poetry” by some modern critics.

Although more famous for his sensuous poems, Li indeed wrote in many styles. He can be either satirical, humorous or sentimental. Moreover, some ancient critics hold that he is the only poet who, in some of his poems, succeeds in imitating the masculine quality of Du Fu’s works.

Influence

In 1968, Roger Waters of the rock band Pink Floyd borrowed lines from his poetry to create the lyrics for the song Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun from the band’s second album A Saucerful of Secrets

Part of a poem by Li Shangyin is recited by a minor character in the Mortuary in the computer role-playing game Planescape: Torment.

To One Unnamed I

You said you would come, but you did not, and you left me with no other trace Than the moonlight on your tower at the fifth-watch bell. I cry for you forever gone, I cannot waken yet, I try to read your hurried note, I find the ink too pale. …Blue burns your candle in its kingfisher-feather lantern And a sweet breath steals from your hibiscus-broidered curtain. But far beyond my reach is the Enchanted Mountain, And you are on the other side, ten thousand peaks away.

无题诗一

来是空言去绝踪，月斜楼上五更钟。

梦为远别啼难唤，书被催成墨未浓。

蜡照半笼金翡翠，麝熏微度绣芙蓉。

刘郎已恨蓬山远，更隔蓬山一万重。