Chinese poem illustration: 酬乐天初逢扬州席上见赠/ Reply to Letian at First Encounter Dinner in Yangzhou by Liu Yuxi
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A famous mount is by its fairy rather then its height(山不在高,有仙则名). These are the words from Li Yuxi’s article, this is also his character.
After 23 years abandoned to remote, uncivilised place from the central government, he happenly meet another poet Bai Juyi(乐天/Letian) at the bustling commercial Yangzhou city on their way back to Luoyang, the east capital. The two became buddy since this dinner till the end of their life.
Two poems was introduced in this video, the poem by Bai Juyi written for Liu, and the reply poem by Liu Yuxi. Poems to each other in a diner or party belong to a very popular type of poetry (唱和诗) of the time, most probably by Bai Juyi, Liu Yuxi and Yuan Zhen’s efforts(白居易, 刘禹锡, 元稹).
酬乐天扬州初逢席上见赠
刘禹锡
巴山楚水凄凉地，
二十三年弃置身。
怀旧空吟闻笛赋，
到乡翻似烂柯人。
沉舟侧畔千帆过，
病树前头万木春。
今日听君歌一曲，
暂凭杯酒长精神。
醉赠刘二十八使君
白居易
为我引杯添酒饮，
与君把箸击盘歌。
诗称国手徒为尔，
命压人头不奈何。
举眼风光长寂寞，
满朝官职独蹉跎。
亦知合被才名折，
二十三年折太多。
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