Lament of Exile

The onset of April brings the beauty of early summer,

By June, the scorching heat of midsummer arrives.

It’s a pity my ancestors weren’t benevolent,

How could they bear to see me suffer this calamity?

The late autumn wind is cold and bleak,

Flowers and trees wither and decay.

Struck by such great disaster, my heart is deeply pained,

Where can I find a place of peace and tranquility?

Winter is so harsh and merciless,

The violent cold wind howls and blows.

Everyone in the world has good fortune,

Why am I the only one to suffer this misfortune?

High on the mountains grow precious flowers,

Chestnut trees and cold-resistant plum trees.

Now in distress, branches are broken, leaves fall, flowers wither,

I don’t know whose fault this really is.

Look at the gurgling mountain springs,

Sometimes clear to the bottom, sometimes turbid.

Lonely, I suffer these calamities every day,

Who knows when I will achieve good fortune?

The surging, unceasing waters of the Yangtze and Han rivers,

Embrace the fertile southern lands.

I worked tirelessly and conscientiously,

Why can’t the rulers treat me well?

I’m neither an eagle nor a hawk,

I can’t soar high into the sky.

I’m neither a sturgeon nor a tuna,

I can’t dive deep into the abyss.

On the high mountains grow bracken and fern,

In the low wetlands grow goji and hackberry.

I don’t know how to express my distress,

So I write this poem to vent my sorrow and grief.

Analysis

This poem vividly expresses the poet’s feelings of sorrow and resentment after being exiled to the south. The author, who refers to himself as a “gentleman,” laments his fate and the injustices he has faced despite his loyalty and service to the state.

The poem opens with the transition from the pleasant early summer of April to the harsh midsummer heat of June, symbolizing the changing fortunes of the poet. He bitterly reflects on his ancestors, questioning their lack of benevolence for allowing him to suffer such a calamity. This opening sets the tone for the entire poem, filled with personal grief and a sense of betrayal.

In the second stanza, the poet describes the late autumn wind as cold and bleak, with flowers and trees withering and decaying. This imagery of a desolate landscape mirrors the poet’s internal state of despair and hopelessness. The rhetorical question “Where can I find a place of peace and tranquility?” underscores his sense of being lost and without refuge.

As winter arrives, the poet describes the season as harsh and merciless, with violent cold winds howling. This serves as a metaphor for the poet’s own suffering and the relentless nature of his misfortunes. He contrasts his plight with the good fortune of others, further highlighting his sense of isolation and injustice.

The fourth stanza shifts to the imagery of high mountains with precious flowers, chestnut trees, and cold-resistant plum trees. These natural elements, which once thrived, are now in distress, mirroring the poet’s own fall from grace. The poet questions whose fault this really is, pointing to the arbitrary and unjust nature of his suffering.

In the fifth stanza, the poet reflects on the gurgling mountain springs, sometimes clear and sometimes turbid. This symbolizes the unpredictable and changing nature of life. The poet laments his daily suffering and expresses a longing for a time when he will achieve good fortune, a hope that seems distant and uncertain.

The sixth stanza brings in the imagery of the surging waters of the Yangtze and Han rivers, which embrace the fertile southern lands. The poet contrasts the prosperity of the land with his own misfortune, questioning why the rulers cannot treat him well despite his tireless and conscientious service. This highlights the theme of unjust treatment and the poet’s sense of betrayal by those in power.

The seventh stanza sees the poet comparing himself to an eagle or a hawk, which can soar high, and to a sturgeon or a tuna, which can dive deep. He laments that he cannot escape his predicament as these creatures can, emphasizing his feeling of being trapped and powerless.

In the final stanza, the poet describes the growth of bracken and fern on the high mountains and goji and hackberry in the low wetlands. These natural elements serve as metaphors for the poet’s own state of mind. The poet confesses his inability to find solace and expresses his sorrow and grief through writing the poem. The act of writing becomes a cathartic way for the poet to cope with his overwhelming sense of loss and despair.

Overall, the poem is a powerful expression of personal suffering, the injustice of fate, and the transient nature of life. Through vivid imagery and heartfelt lamentation, the poet conveys a universal theme that resonates across time and cultures: the struggle against adversity and the search for meaning and justice in a world that often seems indifferent to individual suffering. The poem’s exploration of these themes, combined with its rich imagery and emotional depth, makes it a compelling piece of literature that continues to speak to readers today.