Heavenly Corpse Talisman Demon
I
In ci poetry, artistic conception was paramount. With it came distinction and lines of lasting renown. That was why the ci of the Five Dynasties and Northern Song stood unrivaled.
II
There are created realms and depicted realms, from which the idealist and realist schools arise. Yet the two are difficult to distinguish. For the realms created by great poets must accord with nature, while the realms they depict must also border on the ideal.
III
There are realms with a self, and realms without one. "With tear-filled eyes, I ask the flowers, but they say nothing; scattered red petals whirl past the swing." (1) "How can I bear this lonely inn, shut away in the chill of spring, as dusk falls with the cuckoo's cry?" (2) These are realms with a self. "Picking chrysanthemums beneath the eastern hedge, I gaze serenely at the Southern Mountain." (3) "Cold waves rise, soft and slow; white birds drift down, unhurried." (4) These are realms without a self. In a realm with a self, I view things through my own eyes, so everything takes on the color of my feelings. In a realm without a self, I view things through the things themselves, so I know not what is me and what is other. The ancients wrote more often of realms with a self, yet they were not incapable of writing realms without one. That depended only on whether a person of exceptional talent could forge a path of their own.
Notes:
(1) Feng Yansi, "Que Ta Zhi": "How deep, how deep is the courtyard? Willows gather like smoke; curtains upon curtains stretch without end. In jade-reined, carved saddles, they roam the pleasure quarters; from the high tower, they cannot see the road to Zhangtai. Rain lashes, winds rage, and March draws to a close. The gate shuts at dusk; there is no way to make spring stay. With tear-filled eyes, I ask the flowers, but they say nothing; scattered red petals whirl past the swing."
(2) Qin Guan, "Treading on Sand": "Mist hides the tower; moonlight obscures the ford. I gaze toward Peach Blossom Spring, but nowhere can I find it. How can I bear this lonely inn, shut away in the chill of spring, as dusk falls with the cuckoo's cry? A plum blossom comes by post, a letter by fish; grief upon grief piles up without end. The Chen River, fortunate to rise in the Chen Mountains, why does it flow down toward the Xiaoxiang?"
(3) Tao Qian, "Drinking Wine," poem five: "I built my hut among people, yet heard no clatter of carts and horses. Ask how this can be: the mind far away, the place grows secluded. Picking chrysanthemums beneath the eastern hedge, I gaze serenely at the Southern Mountain. The mountain air is lovely at dusk; birds fly home together. There is a true meaning here, but when I try to explain it, I have already forgotten the words."
(4) Yuan Haowen, "Parting at Yingting": "An old friend and I part once more; by the water, I halt my homeward carriage. The world opens to a sweeping view; all the myriad scenes seem lent to us. The north wind brings three days of snow; the primal element holds the transformations of creation. Nine mountains rise in rugged splendor, unbowed by any that would trample them. Cold waves rise, soft and slow; white birds drift down, unhurried. The homesick traveler grows restless, while the things of the world remain at ease. Wine cups and songs go neglected; dust and toil bring only grief and sighs. I look back at the people in the pavilion; the distant woods are faint as a painting."
IV
A realm without a self can be attained only in stillness. A realm with a self is attained as movement settles into stillness. Thus one is graceful and beautiful, the other grand and powerful.
V
Things in nature constrain one another. But when they are represented in literature and art, their relationships and constraints must be left behind. Thus even realists are idealists. Likewise, however unreal the realm they invent, its materials must be sought in nature, and its structure must follow nature's laws. Thus even idealists are realists.
VI
A realm does not refer only to scenery. Joy, anger, sorrow, and delight are also realms within the human heart. Those who can depict true scenery and true feeling are said to possess artistic conception. Otherwise, they are said to lack it.
VII
"On apricot boughs, spring's spirit stirs." (1) With the single word "stirs," the whole realm appears. "Clouds part; the moon comes out; flowers toy with shadows." (2) With the single word "toy," the whole realm appears.
Notes:
(1) Song Qi, "Jade Tower Spring" ("Spring Scene"): "East of the city, the scenery gradually grows fair; rippled waters welcome the traveler's boat. Beyond the smoky willows, dawn's chill is slight; on apricot boughs, spring's spirit stirs. In this fleeting life, I have long lamented how few our joys; who would trade a thousand gold for one light smile? I raise my wine to urge the setting sun: linger among the flowers and leave us the last light."
(2) Zhang Xian, "Heavenly Immortal" (written when he was serving as a minor official in Jiahe; illness kept him from attending the prefectural gathering): "I listen to several strains of 'Shuidiao' as I hold my wine; I wake from the midday drunkenness, but sorrow has not yet faded. Spring departs—when will it return? At dusk, I face the mirror and mourn the passing years; I recall the past and the promises still to come, all in vain. On the sand, a pair of birds; dusk settles over the pond. Clouds part; the moon comes out; flowers toy with shadows. Layer upon layer of curtains closely veil the lamp. The wind has not stilled; all grows quiet. By tomorrow, fallen petals will surely carpet the path."
VIII
Realms may be large or small; size does not determine their worth. "In fine rain, fish emerge; in a gentle breeze, swallows fly slantwise." (1) Why should this be inferior to "The setting sun shines on the great banner; horses neigh amid the bleak wind"? (2) Why should "A jeweled curtain hangs idly from a little silver hook" (3) be inferior to "Mist hides the tower; moonlight obscures the ford"? (4)
Notes:
(1) Du Fu, "Two Poems on the Water Pavilion," first poem: "Beyond the city walls, the pavilion stands open; with no village nearby, the view stretches far. The clear river runs broad, its banks low; in the deep woods, flowers abound at dusk. In fine rain, fish emerge; in a gentle breeze, swallows fly slantwise. Though the city holds a hundred thousand households, only two or three stand here."
(2) Du Fu, "Five Poems on the Later Campaign," first poem: "At dawn we enter the camp by the eastern gate; at dusk we climb the Heyang Bridge. The setting sun shines on the great banner; horses neigh amid the bleak wind. Across the flat sands, ten thousand tents stand in rows; each unit calls its men to muster. The bright moon hangs in the middle of the sky; strict orders make the night still and hushed. Several mournful notes of the horn stir the air; the warriors are grim, not boastful. Tell me, who is the great general? Surely it is Huo Piao-yao."
(3) Qin Guan, "Huanxi Sand": "A faint chill seeps up to the little tower; dawn clouds brood, as if late autumn had come. Pale smoke and flowing water make the painted screen seem secluded. Blossoms drifting freely are light as dreams; endless fine rain is delicate as sorrow. A jeweled curtain hangs idly from a little silver hook."
(4) Qin Guan, "Treading on Sand," see note 2 under III.
IX
Yan Canglang's Discussions of Poetry said: "The poets of the High Tang relied solely on inspiration. Like an antelope hanging from a tree by its horns, they left no trace to follow. Their marvels were transparent and crystalline, beyond all grasp. They were like sound in empty space, color in a form, the moon in water, an image in a mirror: words came to an end, but meaning was boundless." I say that ci poetry before the Northern Song was much the same. Yet what Canglang called "inspiration," and Wang Ting's "spiritual resonance," describe no more than its outward appearance. It is better that I have put forward the two words "artistic conception," for they probe its very root.
X
Li Bai prevailed through sheer grandeur of vision. "The west wind, the setting sun; the tombs and towers of the Han." (1) In those few, spare words, he silenced all who would climb high and gaze across the ages. Only Fan Wenzheng's "Fisherman's Pride" (2) and Xia Yinggong's "Joyful Migration of the Orioles" (3) came close to carrying on his legacy in later generations, yet neither matched his grandeur.
Notes:
(1) Li Bai, "Remembering Qin E": "The flute's notes choke and fade; Qin E wakes from a dream beneath the moon over Qin Tower. Moon over Qin Tower: year after year, the willows stir sorrow at parting by Baling. On the Clear Autumn Festival at Leyou Plain, the ancient road to Xianyang lies cut off from all sound. Cut off from all sound: the west wind, the setting sun; the tombs and towers of the Han."
(2) Fan Zhongyan, "Fisherman's Pride" ("Autumn Thoughts"): "The frontier takes on a strange aspect as autumn comes; the geese leaving Hengyang have no wish to linger. Sounds from all sides rise with the horns. Amid a thousand peaks, a long trail of smoke; the lonely city closes its gates beneath the setting sun. A cup of turbid wine, a home ten thousand miles away; Yanran is not yet carved, and there is no way to return. The Qiang flute sounds on and on; frost covers the ground. No one sleeps: the general's hair turns white, the soldiers shed tears."
(3) Xia Song, "Order of Joyful Migration": "Rosy clouds scatter like brocade; the moon hangs like a hook. Curtains roll up in Weiyang Hall. The Milky Way, cool in the night, cuts across the sky; autumn locks the palace towers. Jade terraces, trees; dew on golden stems. The fragrance of phoenix marrow coils like mist. Three thousand jewel-bedecked beauties crowd around the imperial procession; in the water palace, they play 'Liangzhou.'"