Yantai Four Poems (No. 1) - Li Shangyin
/燕台四首(其一) - 李商隐/
Reflections on Past Grandeur and Lingering Longing
柳色参差掩画楼
Varying shades of willows drape the painted tower
曾将歌舞候瀛洲
Once, with song and dance, we awaited a fabled paradise
尘埃日日深如海
Day after day, dust accumulates, deeper than the sea
只恨金銮暂出游
We lament that the imperial carriage ventures out so rarely
In this first of Li Shangyin’s “Yantai Four Poems,” the poet paints a scene in which the gentle hues of willow trees shroud a once-splendid tower. These lines invoke a sense of past opulence—once echoed by music and dance—and the anticipation of reaching a near-mythical realm, symbolized by “瀛洲,” a legendary island of immortals in Chinese lore. However, the poem’s mood shifts to one of wistful lamentation as dust accumulates, reflecting time’s steady erosion of grandeur and the encroachment of worldly cares.
The final line hints at the distance between imperial power and the everyday world. The “金銮” (imperial carriage) moving out only briefly underscores how those who once reveled in the emperor’s presence now find themselves left in a state of longing. By juxtaposing the ephemeral magnificence of the past with the present’s slow disillusionment, Li Shangyin contemplates the tension between exalted ideals and life’s impermanence. Despite its brevity, the poem resonates with regret, nostalgia, and an underlying hope that this lost splendor might somehow be rediscovered or recalled.
Key points
1. Grand celebrations and imperial favor are fleeting, often replaced by mundane reality.
2. Mythical or idealized destinations can represent hopes that remain out of reach.
3. The poem invites reflection on how swiftly time erodes both opulence and shared dreams.