Han Stele

Li ShangyinJinzhang Book Company (Jinzhang Shuju) · ChinaJun 2024

4.7

Word count: 3.1K words
Chapters: 48

Summary

is a seven-character ancient-style poem by the Tang poet Li Shangyin. In the poem the author endorses Han Yu’s views in his “Stele on the Pacification of Huaixi,” advocating the strengthening of central authority and highly praising the campaign that quelled the rebellion and reunified the realm; he holds that the order or disorder of the state rests chiefly on the achievements of the chancellor, and the poem highly praises the great accomplishments of Chancellor Pei Du while implicitly criticizing Li Su’s self-interested conduct.

Editor's review

Li Shangyin’s “Han Bei” (The Han Yu Stele) is a long seven-character ancient-style poem that incorporates argument into verse. It unfolds around the fate of Han Yu’s “Stele on the Pacification of Huaixi”; on the surface it commemorates history, but in fact it lodges deep concern for the larger political situation of the court. The poem affirms the strengthening of central authority, gives weight to Chancellor Pei Du’s achievement in coordinating the overall campaign, and at the same time satirizes Li Su’s self-interested scramble for credit, displaying Li Shangyin’s clear-headed judgment on political questions. The poem is dense with allusions and tightly structured, combining narrative and argument; it preserves the historical-spirit of Han Yu’s stele inscription while incorporating Li Shangyin’s characteristic subtle praise and blame. It is an important text for understanding the political attitudes of late-Tang literati and the evolution of the seven-character ancient-style poem. When reading, one should combine it with the basic historical facts of the Huaixi campaign and attend to the recurring image of the “stele”—at once a physical object and a symbol of the judgment of merit and fault. This edition is suitable for focused study of classical poetry, for exercises in mutual corroboration of literature and history, or as supplementary reading on the diversity of Li Shangyin’s poetic style.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers studying Li Shangyin’s poetry who wish to understand his political and historical poems
Students of classical literature learning the structure and allusive technique of Tang seven-character ancient-style poems
Readers of literature and history interested in the Huaixi campaign and the political landscape of the mid- and late Tang
Middle-school Chinese teachers who need materials for mutual corroboration of literature and history in topical reading

Not a good fit for

General readers who prefer short lyric pieces and a light reading experience
Beginners lacking basic knowledge of Tang history and unfamiliar with the relevant allusions
Beginning readers expecting detailed annotation and vernacular translation

Reading tips

First learn the basic background of the Huaixi campaign and Han Yu’s “Stele on the Pacification of Huaixi,” then enter the text of the poem.
Go through the poem section by section, tracing the shifts between narrative and argument, marking allusions and looking up their sources.
Compare the poem’s praise and blame with historical records to appreciate Li Shangyin’s subtle manner.
After finishing, return to the recurring image of the “stele” and summarize the structural thread of the whole poem.

About the publisher

Jinzhang Book Company (Jinzhang Shuju) China · Founded in 1901

Jinzhang Book Company (Jinzhang Shuju) was a private publishing and distribution house in Shanghai during the late Qing and early Republican periods, issuing traditional works by lithographic printing. Judging from the 1,194 titles in the collection, its publishing focused on classical poetry, Eastern philosophy, historical reading, traditional Chinese medical texts, and canonical works, along with books on literary appreciation. Representative titles include the poetry and prose collections of Du Fu and Ouyang Xiu; historical works such as the Book of Han and Zizhi Tongjian; classical texts such as the Book of Documents and Mencius; and specialized and literary classics such as Treatise on Cold Damage and Li Sao. Its author resources cover major figures across the ages, including Du Fu, Ban Gu, Sima Guang, Zhang Zhongjing, Qu Yuan, Ouyang Xiu, and Tang Shenwei, reflecting the house's characteristic reliance on traditional scholarship and medical literature while serving general readers. Public information on its early history and operational details is limited, so no conjecture is offered here.

版权信息
【题僧壁】李商隐
卷539_8【霜月】李商隐
卷539_9【异俗二首（时从事岭南）】李商隐
卷539_10【归墅】李商隐
卷539_11【商於】李商隐
卷539_12【和孙朴韦蟾孔雀咏】李商隐
卷539_13【人欲】李商隐
卷539_14【华山题王母祠】李商隐
卷539_15【华清宫（天宝六载，改骊山温泉宫曰华清宫）】李商隐
卷539_16【楚泽】李商隐
卷539_17【蝉】李商隐
卷539_18【江亭散席循柳路吟（归官舍）】李商隐
卷539_19【潭州】李商隐
卷539_20【赠刘司户（蕡）】李商隐
卷539_21【哭刘司户二首】李商隐
卷539_22【悼伤后赴东蜀辟至散关遇雪】李商隐
卷539_23【乐游原】李商隐
卷539_24【北齐二首】李商隐
卷539_25【街西池馆】李商隐
卷539_26【南朝】李商隐
卷539_27【复京】李商隐
卷539_28【浑河中】李商隐
卷539_29【鄠杜马上念汉书（一云五陵怀古）】李商隐
卷539_30【柳】李商隐
卷539_31【巴江柳】李商隐
卷539_32【咸阳】李商隐
卷539_33【同崔八诣药山访融禅师】李商隐
卷539_34【闻著明凶问哭寄飞卿】李商隐
卷539_35【听鼓】李商隐
卷539_36【送崔珏往西川】李商隐
卷539_37【代赠】李商隐
卷539_38【桂林】李商隐
卷539_39【夜雨寄北】李商隐
卷539_40【陈后宫】李商隐
卷539_41【属疾】李商隐
卷539_42【石榴】李商隐
卷539_43【明日】李商隐
卷539_44【饮席戏赠同舍】李商隐
卷539_45【西溪】李商隐
卷539_46【忆梅】李商隐
卷539_47【赠柳】李商隐
卷539_48【谑柳】李商隐
卷539_49【北禽】李商隐
卷539_50【初起】李商隐
卷539_51【楚宫】李商隐
卷539_52【柳】李商隐
卷539_53【石城】李商隐

FAQ

What historical background should I master before reading “Han Bei”?

At minimum you should understand the course of the Huaixi campaign during the reign of Emperor Xianzong of Tang, Pei Du’s role as commander directing the suppression of the rebellion, and the tradition that Han Yu’s “Stele on the Pacification of Huaixi,” composed by imperial order, was later ground down and altered because Li Su’s side was dissatisfied. This background is the precondition for understanding the poem’s targets of praise and blame.

Why is this poem thought to embody Li Shangyin’s political attitude?

The poem’s stance is very clear in favoring the strengthening of central authority and affirming the chancellor’s achievement in overall coordination, and it satirizes the scrambling for credit. Using the affair of the stele to discuss court politics is a typical method by which Li Shangyin expressed political judgments in a subtle way.

What function does the recurring “stele” serve in the poem?

The “stele” is both the physical object composed by Han Yu and a symbol of the official judgment of merit and fault. The poem unfolds its narrative around the stele’s erection and alteration, giving the argument a concrete basis and forming a structural thread that runs through the whole piece.

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Li Shangyin Author · Chinese

Li Shangyin (c. 813–858), courtesy name Yishan and style name Yuxisheng, was a renowned poet of the late Tang dynasty whose ancestral home was in Huaizhou Henei (present-day Qinyang, Henan). He is often grouped with Du Mu as the “Little Li-Du.” His poems are notable for their novel conceits and rich, ornate style, and his untitled and love poems in particular are deeply tender and lingering. Representative works include “The Jeweled Zither” and the “Untitled” poems, and the Ming dynasty compiled his Li Yishan Poetry Collection. This library holds 24 of his works, including poetry anthologies and selections, as well as pieces such as “The Han Stele,” “Spring Rain,” “The Shrine of the Holy Maid,” “The Peonies of Huizhong Ruined by Rain II,” and “At a Drinking Feast, on Behalf of an Official Courtesan, Presented to Two Attendants,” along with a related collection in the series Classic Works of Ancient Chinese Literature: The Intoxicating Rhythms of Tang Poetry. Public information on the specific events of his life is limited, so this introduction focuses on the themes, style, and literary influence of his works.