望洞庭
Viewing Dongting Lake
Original
湖光秋月两相和，
潭面无风镜未磨。
遥望洞庭山水翠，
白银盘里一青螺。
Translation
The lake’s glow and autumn moon blend in perfect harmony,
Windless, the pool’s surface is like an unpolished mirror.
From afar, I view Dongting’s green hills and waters,
A green spiral shell in a silver plate.
Line by Line Analysis
About This Poem
This poem was written when Liu Yuxi passed by Dongting Lake in autumn during his tenure as the governor of Hezhou. Capturing the serene and elegant scenery of Dongting at night, it paints a vivid picture: the lake’s shimmer merges with the autumn moon, the calm water resembles an unpolished bronze mirror, and the lush Junshan Island sits in the lake like a green spiral shell in a silver plate. The work conveys the poet’s deep affection for Dongting’s natural beauty, while also reflecting his open-mindedness and ability to find solace in nature despite his long-term political exile.
About the Poet
刘禹锡
Liú Yǔxī
Liu Yuxi (772–842) was a prominent politician and litterateur of the Tang Dynasty. He participated in the Yongzhen Reform, a failed political movement, which led to his long-term exile. Known as "Liu-Liu" with Liu Zongyuan and "Liu-Bai" with Bai Juyi, he excelled in historical-themed poems and landscape verses. His poetic style is characterized by clarity, sharpness, and implicit expression of his political ideals and life philosophies through objects or scenery.
Cultural & Historical Context
Historical Background: The mid-Tang Dynasty was fraught with political turbulence, and the 805 Yongzhen Reform, which aimed to curb eunuch power and warlord separatism, ended in failure, sending reformist officials like Liu Yuxi into long-term exile. Cultural Background: Tang Dynasty landscape poetry reached its peak, with a deep-rooted tradition of using natural scenery to convey personal aspirations and emotional states, a practice known as "expressing ideals through objects." Social Background: Amidst court corruption and political purges, many literati faced blocked career paths, turning to nature as a sanctuary for spiritual solace. Personal Experience: When composing this poem, Liu had just finished his 10-year exile in Langzhou and was en route to his new post in Hezhou. Though scarred by political setbacks, he had cultivated a resilient mindset, enabling him to embrace the quiet beauty of Dongting. Creative Purpose & Artistic Features: The poem both celebrates Dongting’s serene landscape and reflects the poet’s optimistic resilience in adversity. It uses ingenious metaphors—comparing the calm lake to an unpolished mirror, the entire lake to a silver plate, and Junshan Island to a green spiral shell—to craft a concise, vivid image that merges natural elegance with subtle emotional depth.