Palace Poem
Home lies three thousand miles away;
Twenty years have passed within the deep palace.
At the sound of the song He Manzi,
Tears fall before the ruler.
Notes
“Palace poem” is a title for a poem about court life. He Manzi, also written He Manzi with a different first character, is a song title. The long distance and years emphasize separation; later stories about the poem differ.
Meaning
A palace figure far from home has spent many years at court; a song brings tears in the ruler’s presence.
Appreciation
Distance, years, a song and tears compress a palace figure’s experience into four lines.
Read the full appreciationCollapse
The first two lines place a faraway home beside long years at court.
The song is followed by tears. The poem does not supply a full biography, leaving the emotion to the reader.
Later stories differ about the song and poem, so no single anecdote should be treated as certain.
About the poet
Zhang Hu, courtesy name Chengji, was a Tang poet; accounts of his dates and place of origin differ.
Read about the poetCollapse
His surviving poems include works about palace life, scenery and travel.
Palace Poem is also commonly titled He Manzi.