MARIA TORIO

Li He (Li Ho, 790816), courtesy name Changji , was a short-lived Chinese poet of the late Tang Dynasty, known for his unconventional and imaginative style.

A native of Changgu (modern-day Luoyang, Henan), Li was discouraged by some of his contemporaries to take the Imperial Examination owing to naming taboo: his father's name happened to sound similar to Jinshi. Encouraged by Han Yu, who admired his talent, Li took the examination, but failed it. Despite his distant royal ancestry , Li died a petty and poor official at the age of 27. There is some debate over his actual dates but according to Frodsham (1983) "the weight of evidence suggests that he was born in a Horse year, since he wrote no less that twenty-three poems in which the horse stands as a symbol for himself".

About 240 poems survived. His works were admired by the poets of the late Tang Dynasty. His collected poems were prefaced by Du Mu, and a short biography was written by Li Shangyin. Although his works were admired by many during and since his life time, they were not accepted in the canonical tradition: none of his poems made their way into the popular anthologies such as the Three Hundred Tang Poems.

Known as an eccentric poet, Li was dubbed Ghost of Poetry while Li Bai was called an Immortal of Poetry and Du Fu Sage of Poetry . Along with Li Bai and Li Shangyin, Li He is one of the Three Lis loved by Chairman Mao Zedong.

According to Sinologist Francois Jullien Li He's poetry was readmitted "at the end of the nineteenth century ... [when] ... Western notions of romanticism [ allowed] the Chinese to reexamine this poet, allowing the symbolism of his poems to speak at last, freeing his imaginary world from the never-ending quest for insinuations."

Well, according to my research, si Little Su daw ay si Su Xiaoxiao at ang tomb niya ay nasa West Lake sa China. Su is a very beautiful poet and Chinese courtesan (though she entertains not through sex but through the arts eg. Poetry, painting)who died at the age of 19. She became the muse of many great Chinese poets including Li Ho. The first part, called an epigraph, was a poem by Su engraved in her tomb. That poem became an inspiration for many poets, including Li Ho.

Since Su never married (she died at a young age + she did not want to marry any of her suitors), the love riding a dark piebald horse in her poem is unknown, probably she never even had one and is still waiting for that love. However, some legends say that she fell in love with a poor scholar, to whom she lent money so he could travel to the capital for the Imperial Examinations (an anachronism since they were not established until a century later); when he did not return as promised, she pined away for love of him and neglected her health, thus developing the illness which killed her. Some versions of this tale say that his delay was caused by further testing through which he had won a very high position in the imperial service, but by the time he returned for her it was too late. (this is unlikely daw since she accepted her death philosophically, but I doubt. I think she really met a scholarLi Ho)

Ito naman yung background ni Li Ho. This part stood out since it coincided with the legend of Sus love : Li was discouraged by some of his contemporaries to take the Imperial Examination owing to naming taboo: his father's name happened to sound similar to Jinshi. Encouraged by Han Yu, who admired his talent, Li took the examination, but failed it. Despite his distant royal ancestry , Li died a petty and poor official at the age of 27. There is some debate over his actual dates but according to Frodsham (1983) "the weight of evidence suggests that he was born in a Horse year, since he wrote no less that twenty-three poems in which the horse stands as a symbol for himself".

Also, Li Ho is known as the Ghost of Poetry.

So, heres my interpretation of the poem by Su at the beginning: It is possible that Su was really referring to Li Ho in this poem (my love rides a dark piebald horse might be referring to Li Ho. It s just a hunch and my reason may seem illogical. Li Ho was born in the year of the Horse and often wrote poems in which the horse stands as a symbol of himself. Furthermore, it is reported that he would go out each morning by horse and jot down lines at random which he would later use to compose poems).

Anyway, Su is waiting for this love and they shall bind their hearts as one beneath the pines and cypresses on West Mound(death).

Yung poem naman ni Li Ho, well, I found thishttp://books.google.com.ph/books?id=g4F9_dH4_h0C&pg=PA164&lpg=PA164&dq=i+ride+a+coach+with+lacquered+sides,+my+love+rides+a+dark,+piebald+horse&source=bl&ots=BUdhfkdHTj&sig=IGAb4sxfdAKHTRmkhGoBeVagaRU&hl=en&sa=X&ei=vNJbU6-dF8Lh8AXZioFg&ved=0CCkQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=i%20ride%20a%20coach%20with%20lacquered%20sides%2C%20my%20love%20rides%20a%20dark%2C%20piebald%20horse&f=falseSabi, the poem not only describes the grave of Little Su but also the ghost of Little Su herself, projected in everything in the surroundings (dew on the secret orchid like crying eyes; misted flowers I cannot bear to cut; the wind is a skirt; grass like a cushion).

The imagery used conveyed how Li Ho felt while he was there in the grave (the imagery had an emotional value(the overall feel of the poem is melancholy and sad)).

A coach with lacquered sides waits for someone in the evening, I think may be interpreted as Li Ho capturing the longing and waiting of Su and, in the same breath, the expression of his subtle happiness knowing that Su is waiting for him.

Cold blue candle-flames strain to shine bright may be interpreted as Li Ho trying to cheer himself up with the idea that Su is waiting for him and they shall bind their hearts as one on West Mound beneath the pines and cypresses.

JAI SALDAJENO

I agree din sa insights ni Lica.Naghanap ako ng parang mas mejo literal na translation ng Grave of Little Su (http://www.shigeku.org/xlib/lingshidao/hanshi/lihe.htm) and eto yung pagkakaintindi ko:

I ride a coach with lacquered sides = describes the carriage her lifeless body was riding on the way to her grave;My love rides a dark piebald horse = referring to Li Ho;Where shall we bind our hearts as one? On West Mound = they'll meet sa grave site;Beneath the pines and cypresses = accompanying the location of the grave site, as cemeteries tend to have many trees planted in the area;Dew on the secret orchidLike crying eyes.Nothing to bind the heart toMisted flowers I cannot bear to cut. = I think this stanza describes the site (cue Imagery hehe). I take this as parang the place (grave site) is not one of those places to have a very romantic ambiance in it based on "Nothing to bind the heart to";

Grass like a cushion = since when your dead you lie down nga parang unan daw yung grass. (Though i dont know if may pinaghuhugutan pa tong line kasi nga yung grass against the soil parang hindi comfortable higaan ng ulo, is it trying to say na sanay na siya sa pain?)The pine like parasol = the pine tree serves as a shade or umbrellaThe wind as a skirt,The waters are tinkling pendants.

A coach with lacquered sidesWaits for someone in the evening = describes the carriage, and i think she's buried at night?Cold blue candle-flamesStrain to shine bright = (from the link) "..are like candles lit for the lovers who will never come. After burning for over 300 years, they seem faint and feeble."Beneath West Mound = grave siteThe wind puffs the rain. = "..In spite of the legend that her lovers visited her on stormy nights, she is waiting in vain."

Su Hsiao-hsiao's Tomb*

Dew upon lonely orchidsLike tear-brimmed eyes.No twining of love-knots,Mist-wreathed flowers I cannot bear to cut.

Grass for her cushions,Pines for her awning,Wind as her skirts,Water as girdle-jades.In her varnished carriage**She is waiting at dusk.Cold candles, kingfisher-green,Weary with shining.***

Over the Western Grave-moundWind-blown rain.****

* Su Hsiao-hsiao was a renowned singing-girl from Chian-tang (Hang-chou) who lived during the Southern Chi dynasty (479 - 502). A tomb, said to be hers, in Chia-hsing county, north Tze-chiang, was destroyed by fanatical Red Guards during the Cultural Revolution. The Tang writer, Li Shen, recounts the story that sounds of music and singing could be heard coming from the tomb on stormy nights.** Singing-girls rode in carriages with varnished sides. Su's carriage may well have been buried with her.*** The will-o'-the-wisps are like candles lit for the lovers who will never come. After burning for over 300 years, they seem faint and feeble.**** In spite of the legend that her lovers visited her on stormy nights, she is waiting in vain. The Western Grave-mound was near Hang-chou.

APRIL DALLORAN

I agree din mostly sa interpretation ni Maria Angelica (sorry I don't know what to call you hehe)Anyway, in the first part, I ride a coach with lacquered sides--referring to Su, and my love rides a dark piebald horse--which refers to Li Ho naman. And also I searched for chinese weddings and there is one picture na lumabas na nakasakay sa horse yung groom and yung bride nasa isang carriage (check the attached picture). I think sa sinabi niya na Where shall we bind our hearts as one? On West Mound, beneath the pines and cypresses, it says na they were really going to marry as suggested by binding our hearts as one, pero since Li Ho showed up late, parang ang dinatnan niya na lang is yung grave ni Su.

For the second part: (I agree ulit kay Maria Angelica na it's like the ghost of Su speaking in the poem as she watches Li Ho mourn over her grave.) Dew on the secret orchid like crying eyes--I guess suggests Li Ho crying over the death of Su and I think sinabi niyang secret orchid kasi well, orchids interpreted in Chinese culture is a symbolism for love and affection and/or delicate beauty which I think represents Su. Nothing to bind the heart to, meaning wala na nga kasi yung lover niya. Misted flowers I cannot bear to cut--I think the flower represents the love of Li Ho for Su and he couldn't bear to cut it kasi parang natatakot siyang ma-cut din yung love niya. Grass like a cushion--I have two ideas for this; one is tulad nga ng sinabi niyo na serves as a deathbed ni Su, the other one is that it could be like a representation of their wedding sana dapat na parang it is the cushion na linuluhuran ng bride and groom (I checked ulit yung chinese weddings, lumuluhod talaga sila). The pine like a parasol kasi chinese brides really use a parasol in their weddings. The wind is a skirt, meaning parang yung wind serves as the skirt or the dress ng bride. The waters are tinkling pendants--refer to the jewelleries ng bride sa wedding. Then yung A coach with lacquered sides waits for someone in the evening, refers to the coach ni Su na naiwan na lang basta kasi nga she already died there. Tapos sa Cold blue candle-flames strain to shine bright, meron ulit akong dalawang interpretation though hindi ko alam which is more appropriate; one is that the cold blue candle-flame refers to like hell or something na idea ng death kasi usually it is associated with Hades kasi diba blue flame is usually the hottest and sa hell ang hottest apparently (also I just attached a picture of Hades sa movie na Hercules kasi blue yung "hair" niya hehe) and straining to shine bright kasi kahit Su is already dead, parang they're still fighting for their love; the other interpretation for cold blue candle-flame is yung love ni Li Ho (or maybe the love that they both share, whatever) na he is straining to protect or parang he's trying to keep it aflame. Tapos lastly, Beneath West Mound the wind puffs the rain--I guess yung Beneath the west mound na part refers to hell (?) or maybe something under the ground. Then, The wind puffs the rain--parang bigla nang namatay yung flame which suggests the end of their love (sad story) haha. But anyway, hindi ko naman masyadong sure yung last part.