Jia Yi
In the Xuan chamber the ruler sought a gifted, exiled minister;
Jia Yi’s talent and bearing had no equal.
Alas, at midnight he drew his seat forward in vain:
He asked about spirits, not the lives of the people.
Notes
Jia Yi was a Western Han writer and political thinker. The Xuan chamber was part of the imperial palace. Moving forward on one’s seat suggests attentive listening; the poem contrasts the emperor’s question about spirits with concern for ordinary people.
Meaning
The poem praises Jia Yi’s talent but regrets that the emperor’s attentive questions concern spirits rather than the people.
Appreciation
The opening seems to describe a ruler seeking talent and recognising Jia Yi’s gifts.
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Moving closer suggests attention, but “in vain” signals the speaker’s disappointment.
The final contrast between people and spirits turns the scene into criticism of the question asked.
The poem offers a judgment through one historical episode, not a complete account of the ruler’s policies.
About the poet
Li Shangyin (c. 813–c. 858), courtesy name Yishan, was a late Tang poet. His family came from the area of present-day Qinyang, Henan; accounts of his dates differ.
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He served in regional offices and wrote works including The Patterned Zither and poems titled Untitled.
Readers differ on the addressee of Night Rain Sent North and the specific meaning of Chang’e.