薛涛诗

Poems of Xue Tao


Index

酬祝十三秀才

Invoking Blessings on Thirteen Exam Graduates


浩思蓝山玉彩寒
冰囊敲碎楚金盘
诗家利器驰声久
何用春闱榜下看

Consider well blue mountains covered in chill jade.
Smash their icy shroud and their treaures are revealed.
A poet's treasure is a voice that spreads out forever.
What matter that your names are on the list this spring?

-- 薛涛


废话

This poem is probably from Xue Tao's time as Xichuan district's hostess. And while we knew she was brought there by Wei Gao, we now know she was connected to his third successor some ten years after his death. As the highest imperial officer in a great district, Wei Gao would probably be expected to make appropriate gestures for the graduates of the regional exams in the spring. This poem would have been a part of that.


Index