Miscellaneous Poems of the Jihai Year 125
Only wind and thunder can give the land new life;
It is deeply sad when ten thousand horses stand silent.
I urge the Lord of Heaven to rouse himself again,
And send down talented people without a single fixed pattern.
Notes
Jǐhài names the year 1839 in the traditional cycle. The Nine Provinces stand for China. Wind and thunder suggest powerful change; “ten thousand silent horses” pictures a stifled situation. The Lord of Heaven is urged to rouse himself and send talent in varied forms.
Meaning
The poet sees a need for powerful change and laments a stifled public life. He calls on Heaven to send capable people in many forms, without relying on one fixed pattern.
Appreciation
Wind and thunder, a silent herd and an appeal to Heaven express the poet’s wish for social energy and talent.
Read the full appreciationCollapse
The loud force of a storm contrasts with horses standing silent, making the sense of constraint vivid.
The closing appeal asks for capable people beyond a single fixed mold; it expresses a hope rather than recording an immediate change.
Talk about the different things people can be good at, and compare the sounds of a storm and silence.
About the poet
Gong Zizhen (1792–1841) was a Qing writer and thinker from the area of present-day Hangzhou. He held office in Beijing before leaving government service.
Read about the poetCollapse
Miscellaneous Poems of the Jihai Year is a sequence; this page presents poem 125.
Sources
Poem and reading reference: Shicile · Poet biography reference · poems-db
Translation and explanations by Poetry Buds; review ongoing.