High on Wushan - Li He
/巫山高 - 李贺/
A Celestial Vision of Mist and Longing
巫山高，
Wushan rises high,
巫山云雨远相遭。
Where mist and rain meet from afar.
江声瑟瑟枕边愁，
The river’s murmuring weeps by one’s pillow, a quiet sorrow,
神女梦来不可留。
While the mountain spirit appears in dreams, yet cannot be held.
Wushan rises high,
巫山云雨远相遭。
Where mist and rain meet from afar.
江声瑟瑟枕边愁，
The river’s murmuring weeps by one’s pillow, a quiet sorrow,
神女梦来不可留。
While the mountain spirit appears in dreams, yet cannot be held.
Li He’s brief poem “High on Wushan” (《巫山高》) captures the alluring mystique of Wushan—a region in China famed in classical literature for its cloud-wreathed peaks and legendary encounters with spirits. In just four lines, the poet ushers us into a dreamlike world poised between myth and longing.
Wushan (巫山) is closely associated with the ancient tale of the Goddess (神女) of the Wu Gorge, who, according to legend, met King Chu Huai in his dreams. References to ‘clouds and rain’ allude to the story’s romantic, otherworldly elements. Writers throughout Chinese history would invoke Wushan’s mists to suggest a beauty both tantalizing and elusive.
Li He’s version underscores that yearning: the ‘river’s murmuring’ may be literal—one can imagine the Yangtze waters flowing through the gorge—but it also evokes a restless sadness. The poem then moves toward a dreamlike encounter, describing the elusive spirit who visits only in sleep, vanishing again before she can be embraced or even fully known.
Through delicate contrasts between solidity (‘Wushan rises high’) and ever-shifting phenomena (‘clouds and rain,’ ‘dreams’), Li He highlights a fundamental tension: the tangible presence of the mountains alongside intangible, fleeting desires. The final note—“不可留” (cannot be held)—encapsulates the poignancy of all ephemeral experiences: even as we reach out, they dissolve, leaving a potent mix of memory and regret.
In this sense, “High on Wushan” merges a physical landscape with a spiritual or psychological plane, exploring the tenuous boundary between ordinary reality and the realm of legend. That boundary often preoccupied Li He, a poet known for blending myth and mortal life into condensed, emotionally charged verse. Today, this poem resonates as a testament to how certain places, steeped in centuries of lore, can stir us to reflect on the transience of human longing.
Key points
• The poem references the romantic lore of Wushan’s mists and the mountain spirit.
• Li He uses natural elements (clouds, rain, river sounds) to evoke longing and dreamlike beauty.
• The final line highlights the elusive nature of the spirit, symbolizing how desire often goes unfulfilled.
• Reflects Li He’s signature style of merging mythic or legendary references with fleeting human emotions.