[Poem] CHOU BI POST STATION - A Brief Glimpse into Longing and Historical Echoes

“Chou Bi Post Station” is traditionally associated with the ruins linked to famed strategist Zhuge Liang from the Three Kingdoms era (though direct references to him may be subtle). In these lines, Li Shangyin frames an evening scene by a river: gibbon cries evoke both the remoteness of the setting and the speaker’s sense of abandonment. The water’s ceaseless flow contrasts starkly with human fragility, underscoring how even the strongest ambitions and alliances eventually dissolve in the current of time.

The poem’s focus then shifts to changes in fortune. “Though once sharing stately carriages, how divergent our paths have become” implies that former companions or leaders, who started with similar opportunities, now find themselves on radically different trajectories. By the final line, the poet concedes his own weariness—an almost existential dread—toward encountering any figure of power, perhaps for fear that such encounters might reopen wounds or highlight his fallen state.

In just four lines, Li Shangyin manages to capture a blend of historical reflection, personal lament, and philosophical commentary on impermanence. The poem resonates with anyone who has watched plans dissolve and wonders why some prosper while others fade. Its succinct yet powerful imagery points to a universal truth: external might and fleeting alliances cannot protect one from the inexorable tides of fortune and time.