Mawei (No. 2) - Li Shangyin
/马嵬(其二) - 李商隐/
A Poignant Lament for Vanished Splendor
海外徒闻更九州
Away in distant lands, one only hears rumors of Nine Provinces
他生未卜此生休
Uncertain is the next life; this life meets its abrupt end
空闻虎旅传宵柝
In vain, the night watch of the tiger-guard echoes through the dark
无复鸡人报晓筹
No more do dawn’s messengers call the day into being
此日六军同驻马
Today, the six armies have all reined in their horses
当时七夕笑牵牛
Once, on the Seventh Night, we laughed at the Herd-Boy’s tale
如何过得香闺里
How can one return to the fragrant boudoir now?
散似秋云无处收
Scattered like autumn clouds, there is nowhere to gather them again
In Li Shangyin’s poem “Mawei (No. 2),” the poet meditates on the tragedy and aftermath surrounding the Mawei Inn incident—often alluding to the downfall linked to Emperor Xuanzong of Tang and Lady Yang (Yang Guifei). Though not explicitly referencing them by name here, the poem captures the emotional ruins that linger after a grand love story and a flourishing era have collapsed. The lines open by hinting at distant rumors and uncertain futures, projecting the poet’s sense of exile and alienation.
The imagery of the night watch and daybreak calls evokes time’s relentless march, emphasizing the absence of all that once made life meaningful. Li Shangyin contrasts the memory of joyful moments—such as the Seventh Night (the traditional Qixi Festival)—with the stark reality of vanished warmth and camaraderie. The armies have halted, echoing political turmoil and a suspension of customary activity.
The closing couplet underscores the impossibility of returning to former happiness or restoring lost splendor. Comparing scattered memories to drifting autumn clouds, Li Shangyin conveys that once-bonded hearts and bygone glories cannot be repossessed or neatly reassembled. In this way, “Mawei (No. 2)” becomes an elegy for unfulfilled desire and a world forever changed, its fragments lingering only in distant recollections and wistful laments.
Key points
1. The poem laments irrecoverable losses—both personal affections and grand imperial flourishes.
2. Seasonal and celestial references (autumn clouds, the Seventh Night) highlight love’s fragility.
3. Li Shangyin’s blending of historical allusions with intimate longing invites readers to reflect on the transience of power and passion alike.
