Remembering Mount Xisai - Liu Yuxi
/西塞山怀古 - 刘禹锡/
Reflections on Sunk Chains and Fading Crowns
王濬楼船下益州，
Wang Jun’s tower-ships sailed downstream from Yizhou,
金陵王气黯然收。
Quenching the royal aura of Jinling in gloom.
千寻铁锁沉江底，
A thousand fathoms of iron chains sank to the river’s floor,
一片降幡出石头。
While a single surrender flag rose from Stone City’s shore.
Wang Jun’s tower-ships sailed downstream from Yizhou,
金陵王气黯然收。
Quenching the royal aura of Jinling in gloom.
千寻铁锁沉江底，
A thousand fathoms of iron chains sank to the river’s floor,
一片降幡出石头。
While a single surrender flag rose from Stone City’s shore.
In “Remembering Mount Xisai,” Liu Yuxi connects a specific location—Xisai Mountain (西塞山)—with a pivotal moment in ancient Chinese history. The poem focuses on Wang Jun’s dramatic campaign: he famously used massive, tower-like warships to sail from Yizhou (present-day Sichuan) down the Yangtze River, contributing to the downfall of a ruling power in Jinling (known today as Nanjing).
The stark imagery of iron chains submerged in the depths hints at desperate defensive measures once employed to block enemy advances. Yet these measures were ultimately futile; the chains now lie on the riverbed, forgotten, symbolic of a kingdom’s shattered ambitions. The poem’s closing scene, depicting a white flag of surrender rising at Stone City (an ancient fortress site in Nanjing), speaks to the final collapse of resistance—despite the grandeur and pride that once pervaded the realm.
This short quatrain captures multiple layers of meaning. On one level, it records the sheer scale and technological prowess behind Wang Jun’s naval feats. On another, it provides a stark reminder of how fleeting political power can be. Grand constructions and elaborate defenses are no match for the flow of history, just as colossal chains succumb to rushing waters over time.
The poet’s choice to highlight these elements—tower-ships, sinking chains, a surrender banner—underscores a paradoxical mix of human determination and vulnerability. The lines challenge readers to consider the ephemeral nature of pride and dominion. No matter how formidable a kingdom may appear, it can still crumble abruptly when fate (or the times) shifts.
For Liu Yuxi, who himself endured political upheavals and periods of exile during the Tang Dynasty, this historical recollection may also reflect his personal views on the rise and fall of power. Gazing upon the remnants of an ancient battlefield, he sees a mirror held up to all who believe they stand invincible. The poem is at once a somber historical reflection and a subtle cautionary tale about the impermanence of worldly glory.
By encapsulating grand events in just a few concise lines, Liu Yuxi shows the potency of Tang poetry’s style: every character brims with a sense of both motion and aftermath, bearing testament to triumphant conquests and wrenching surrenders. The intense imagery—of warships, drowning chains, and a lone white flag—transports readers back to a moment when vast empires clashed, only to watch them recede into memory. In this way, “Remembering Mount Xisai” transcends the confines of its era, reminding us today that all human endeavors, however mighty, can be undone by shifting tides.
Key points
• Highlights the fleeting nature of political might.
• Uses vivid imagery (drowned chains, warships, surrender flag) to depict a fallen regime.
• Serves as both a historical scene and a reminder of impermanence.
• Demonstrates how Tang poets conveyed vast historical shifts in concise, powerful lines.