[updated October 2022]
Travel to Warm Springs
温 泉 行
出 身 天 宝 今 年 几
顽 钝 如 锤 命 如 织。
作 官 不 了 却 来 归
还 是 杜 陵 一 男 子。
北 风 惨 惨 投 温 泉
忽 忆 先 皇 游 幸 年。
身 骑 厩 马 引 天 仗
直 入 华 清 列 御 前。
玉 林 瑶 雪 满 寒 山
上 升 玄 阁 游 绛 烟。
平 明 羽 卫 朝 万 国
车 马 合 沓 溢 四 廛。
蒙 恩 每 浴 华 池 水
扈 猎 不 蹂 渭 北 田。
朝 廷 无 事 共 欢 燕
美 人 丝 管 从 九 天。
一 朝 铸 鼎 降 龙 驭
小 臣 髯 绝 不 得 去。
今 来 箫 瑟 万 井 空
唯 见 苍 山 起 烟 雾。
一 朝 铸 鼎 降 龙 驭
小 臣 髯 绝 不 得 去。
今 来 箫 瑟 万 井 空
唯 见 苍 山 起 烟 雾。
Wen Quan Xing
Chu shen tian bao jin nian ji
Wan dun ru chui ming ru zhi.
Zuo guan bu liao que lai gui
Huan shi du ling yi nan zi.
Bei feng can can tou wen quan
Hu yi xian huang you xing nian
Shen qi jiu ma yin tian zhang
Zhi ru hua qing lie yu qian.
Yu lin yao xue man han shan
Shang sheng xuan ge you jiang yan.
Ping ming yu wei zhao wan guo
Che ma he ta yi si chan.
Meng en mei yu hua chi shui
Hu lie bu rou wei bei tian.
Zhao ting wu shi gong huan yan
Mei ren si guan cong jiu tian.
Yi zhao zhu ding jiang long yu
Xiao chen ran jue bu de qu.
Jin lai xiao se wan jing kong
Wei jian cang shan qi yan wu.
Ke lian ceng deng shi feng bo
Yang tian da jiao wu nai he.
Bi qiu ying ma dong yu si
Lai yu zhu ren bei jiu duo.
Travel to Warm Springs
Working for several years inside the government during the reign of Xuanzong
I was foolish and stupid while pulling a ball and chain, with the fate of paper.
As a rising government official, not allowed to finish a project, had to return home empty handed
Arrive in Duling as one common man.
Extreme and cruel north winds bring litter to Wen Quan
Suddenly recall the previous emperor and the good times.
I rode a palace horse in the vanguard of the imperial retinue
From a lead position, traveled straight to the hot springs.
Jade green forests, beautiful snow-filled mountains
Ascend to the top of Mystery Pavilion, from the elevated mists profound inspirations.
Most of the time feathers worn by the palace guard
At dawn visitors from many nations.
Crowds of horses and carriages overflow into the merchants square
Because of imperial kindness, opportunities to bathe in the clear water.
Hunting parties do not trample on the Wei River northern fields
Without court affairs at dawn, everyone here happy and content.
Beautiful lady’s silk clothes, playing their stringed instruments, tones fly up to the highest heaven
One dawn morning, Xuanzong’s cast iron funeral urn with a whiskered dragon.
Low level officials try to hold onto them in order to follow him to heaven, but they break, people fall back to earth
Today arrives, villages around Wen Quan deserted.
Only see rising mists and fog around the green mountains
Can sympathize with those meeting setbacks, swimming upstream against the current.
Look up to the sky and call out for help
Fur coats become ragged, horses freezing and expecting death
Depend upon the charity of hosts with many cups of wine.
Notes:
Xuanzong: (685-762) (r. 713-756) Famous and most influential emperor during the Tang Dynasty.
Duling: Area outside the capital city of Chang’an famous for being an ancient burial site. Emperor Xuandi was buried there. Hometown area of Wei Yingwu.
Wen Quan: Hot springs located between the capitals of Chang’an and Luoyang often used as a retreat for the palace elites.
Mystery Pavilion: (Xuan Ge): Daoist temple in Suzhou, Zhejiang Province built in the third century.
Wei River: Largest tributary to the Yellow River. Sites of several ancient capitals throughout the centuries.
Commentary:
A lot biographical information here. Wei in his earlier days was a palace guard. He described well the palace life, contrasting the time both before and after the death of Xuanzhong.