菩萨蛮·书江西造口壁
Pusa Man: Inscribed on the Wall at Zhaokou, Jiangxi
Original
郁孤台下清江水，
中间多少行人泪。
西北望长安，
可怜无数山。
青山遮不住，
毕竟东流去。
江晚正愁余，
山深闻鹧鸪。
Translation
Beneath Yugu Terrace flows the clear Gan River,
How many tears of exiles have mixed in its waves?
Gazing northwest toward Chang'an,
Countless mountains block my sight, what a pity!
Green mountains can't hold it back,
It will flow eastward after all.
At dusk by the river, sorrow weighs heavily on me,
Deep in the hills, I hear the partridge's mournful call.
Line by Line Analysis
About This Poem
This ci poem was composed by Xin Qiji in the 1170s when he served as the Judicial Commissioner of Jiangxi. Rooted in the tragic history of Zhaokou—where Jin troops chased Empress Dowager Longyu during the Northern Song's fall, leaving countless civilians displaced—the poem weaves natural scenery with profound patriotic grief. Opening with exiles' tears merging into the Gan River, it captures the collective trauma of the nation. Gazing at the lost northern capital Chang'an, blocked by mountains, Xin expresses frustration at being barred from recovering the homeland. The unstopping eastward river symbolizes the irrepressible tide of national resilience, while the closing partridge calls amplify his sorrow over unfulfilled ambitions and the court's appeasement policy.
About the Poet
辛弃疾
Xīn Qìjí
Xin Qiji (1140–1207), a distinguished poet of the Southern Song Dynasty, is a core representative of the Heroic-Courageous school of ci poetry, often paired with Su Shi as "Su-Xin". A passionate patriot and former military strategist, he dedicated most of his works to expressing his unwavering desire to recover northern territories lost to the Jin Dynasty. His ci poems merge bold, majestic narratives with delicate emotional undertones, reflecting his frustration over unfulfilled ambitions and deep love for his motherland.
Cultural & Historical Context
1. Historical Background: In 1127, the Jin Dynasty captured the Northern Song capital, forcing the court to establish the Southern Song. Zhaokou was a site of civilian tragedy as Jin troops pursued Empress Dowager Longyu, leaving deep scars in the collective memory. 2. Cultural Background: By the Southern Song, ci poetry shifted from entertainment to a medium for political expression, with the Heroic-Courageous school leading this transformation. 3. Social Background: The Southern Song court favored appeasement over resistance, marginalizing patriotic officials like Xin and suppressing calls to retake northern lands. 4. Personal Experience: Xin defected to the Southern Song as a young warrior but was never given a key military post. When writing this poem, he held a local administrative role, far from power centers, his dreams of reunification unfulfilled. 5. Creative Purpose & Artistic Features: Xin aimed to voice national grief and critique court cowardice, using symbolic imagery— the river represents unyielding national will, mountains symbolize political barriers, and the partridge embodies unfulfilled homecoming. The poem blends grand historical themes with intimate sorrow, balancing boldness with subtle pathos to create a timeless patriotic work.