A Poetic Tribute to Xi Shi - Wang Wei
/西施咏 - 王维/
Reflecting on Beauty and Fate in Ancient Times
艳色天下重，
Glamorous beauty weighs heavily upon the world,
西施宁久微。
So how could Xi Shi stay obscure for long?
朝为越溪女，
Morning saw her as a girl washing silk by Yue’s creek,
暮作吴宫妃。
By dusk, she was betrothed within the Wu palace.
贱日岂殊众，
In her humble days, was she any different from the masses?
贵来方悟稀。
Only once exalted did they realize how rare she was.
邀人傅脂粉，
Summoned to adorn herself in powder and rouge,
不自著罗衣。
Yet she never dressed in fine gauze of her own accord.
君宠益娇态，
The king’s favor increased her delicate allure,
君怜无是非。
And absolved her of any blame or censure.
当时浣纱伴，
Those who once washed silk alongside her,
莫得同车归。
Could not share her carriage on the journey back home.
持谢邻家子，
To the neighbor’s daughter, she offers this thanks:
效颦安可希。
Imitating her frown will not grant the same destiny.
“A Poetic Tribute to Xi Shi” (often titled “Xi Shi Yong”) by Wang Wei presents a classical Chinese reflection on Xi Shi, one of the legendary “Four Beauties” of ancient China. The poem narrates her dramatic shift from a humble life washing silk on the banks of Yue’s creek to a position of high status in the Wu palace. Through this transformation, Wang Wei contemplates both the allure of beauty and the often unpredictable forces that shape one’s destiny.
The poem opens by underlining Xi Shi’s inevitable rise to fame—her renowned beauty could not remain hidden. Within the space of a single day, she transitions from obscurity into courtly splendor, a leap that underscores how swiftly power and favor may alter a life. Yet Wang Wei also hints at the tensions behind such change: in her elevated role, Xi Shi is carefully adorned to please a ruler whose admiration shelters her from criticism. This indulgence contrasts sharply with her former companions, left behind to their ordinary routines.
Wang Wei highlights the idea that beauty, despite being a personal attribute, can become a political or social instrument—both a blessing and a burden. The poet subtly suggests that those who might try to mimic Xi Shi’s charm (like adopting her famous ‘frown’) cannot replicate her fortune or her fate. In this sense, the poem critiques shallow imitations of external beauty. Instead, it invites deeper reflection on how status, favor, and personal qualities intersect in shaping a singular path—one that neither Xi Shi nor her contemporaries fully control.
Though set in a distant era, the poem’s underlying themes resonate in any age. External allure, social elevation, and the longing to emulate what is deemed ‘admirable’ are perennial human concerns. Wang Wei’s succinct verses thus hold timeless lessons: that beauty’s power can make or break a life’s course and that imitations, no matter how precise, cannot secure someone else’s fate.
Key points
Wang Wei’s tribute to Xi Shi reminds us that beauty can ignite dramatic changes in fortune—yet such transformations come wrapped in both prestige and peril. While others may yearn to copy her legendary charm, the poem suggests that destiny is more than mere imitation; it is a confluence of personal qualities, timing, and circumstance. Ultimately, Xi Shi’s story and Wang Wei’s verses stand as a testament to the profound and sometimes precarious influence of allure and favor in shaping one’s path.
