[Poem] THIRTEEN POEMS FROM THE SOUTHERN GARDEN (NO. 6) - Reflecting on Li He’s Eloquent, Subtle Imagery

In the sixth poem of his “Thirteen Poems from the Southern Garden,” Li He paints a fleeting vision of flowers and grasses, then swiftly shifts to a note of lament for a historical figure known as ‘Han Ling’ (韩令) or ‘Magistrate Han’—widely understood in some readings to be a minor official whose achievements went underappreciated. By interweaving delicate, natural imagery with a sense of unfinished human potential, Li He highlights the gap between beauty or promise and the reality of worldly success.

The poem opens in a gentle, almost pastoral scene: flowers of ‘little white and deep red’ evoke the cheeks of the ‘Yue maidens,’ referencing a region once known for its graceful women. This vivid yet subtle metaphor suggests both natural bloom and youthful loveliness, providing a contrast to the following lines that speak of unrealized glory.

The mention of Han Ling’s ‘thin’ or ‘slender’ fame moves the poem from floral serenity to a human sense of regret. The concluding image—of a great ‘roc’ (鹏) that once soared along a river but never returned—symbolizes lost opportunity or dashed ambition. Thus, in just four lines, Li He frames a delicate cycle of beauty, aspiration, and ephemeral fortune, reflecting the Tang Dynasty’s fascination with the tensions between nature’s bounty and the impermanence of renown.

Li He’s characteristic style fuses lush, sensuous imagery with sudden shifts to moral or emotional conclusions. While brevity itself makes the poem elusive, its potent symbolism lingers, inviting reflection on how easily life’s brightest moments may pass without fulfilling their original promise. The subtle heartbreak resonates beyond its immediate context, reminding us that mortal accomplishments, like blossoms in spring, may blossom vividly only to vanish all too soon.