孟郊诗
Poems of Meng Jiao
Index
奉同朝贤送新罗使
Presented, with other court worthies, to the Korean ambassador
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淼淼望远国 一萍秋海中 恩传日月外 梦在波涛东 |
Gazing towards a vast and distant sea, A single duckweed amongst all these begonias. Conferring favor, beyond the call of duty, yet In your dreams are the great eastern billows. |
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浪兴豁胸臆 泛程舟虚空 既兹吟仗信 亦以难私躬 |
Breakers on the shore stir your deep feelings, As if your bark were floating on the void. Already, here, your chant relies on faith and, With us, it is hard to be yourself. |
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实怪赏不足 异鲜悦多丛 安危所系重 征役谁能穷 |
All this strangeness was hard to enjoy even though Freah experiences brought much happiness. The dangers of your office weigh upon you and Who can lighten the burden of your journey. |
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彼俗媚文史 圣朝富才雄 送行数百首 各以铿奇工 |
Other common men flatter themselves cultured But this court has its heroes of blessed talent. We send with you some hundreds of these, Each known for his amazing accomplishments. |
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冗隶窃抽韵 孤属思将同 |
As your servant, I produce these verses, so that when alone you may think of seeing us again. |
-- 孟郊
废话
An official farewell poem for the emissary from the Korean kingdom of Silla. Silla eventually conquered its neighbors with the help of the Tang. One supposes that, in addition to a few hundred scholars, the ambassador may have had an escort of some more-than-few thousand soldiers of the Tang. Northern Korean kingdoms have more than once allied themselves with the Chinese to gain dominance over their enemies. And while they may have gained genuine cultural benefits from becoming somewhat sinified, I think they may have given up too much of their own Korean identity in return for the ephemera of power.
Note: in line 2, I give you a nuance of "A single duckweed upon an autumn sea." A duckweed is a traveler or wanderer and the ambassador (a single duckweed) would have felt surrounded by foreigners (the begonias, from 秋海花). The whole poem, apart from the official message, shows Meng Jiao's empathy for someone far from home.