Sao P oe t ry : t He Lyr i cS of c h u 3930 By the evening I halt my chariot at the north
bank. 夕弭節兮北渚 (xī mĭ jié xi bĕi zhŭ)
Birds are roosting on the rooftops, 鳥次兮屋上 (niăo cì xi wū shàng)
And waters are circling around the hall. 水周兮堂下 (shuĭ zhōu xi táng xià)
I throw my jade ring into the river, 捐余玦兮江中 ( juān yú jué xi jiāng zhōng)
And leave my pendant in the mouth of the Li. 遺余佩兮醴浦 (yí yú pèi xi lĭ pŭ)
35 I pick lavenders in the fragrant isle, 采芳洲兮杜若 (căi fāng zhōu xi dù ruò)
And will give them to my women below. 將以遺兮下女 ( jiāng yĭ wèi xi xià nǚ)
A lost moment cannot be regained, 峕不可兮再得 (shí bù kĕ xi zài dé)
Let us now take our time and roam at ease. 聊逍遙兮容與 (liáo xiāo yáo xi róng yŭ)
[CCBZ, 59–64]
As I have indicated, many uncertainties and ambiguities characterize the “Nine
Songs.” In this poem, one of the most beautiful in the group, these uncertainties
and ambiguities start from its title. Since the Chinese word jun is ambivalent in its
indication of gender, the poem may be read as addressing either a male or a female
deity. Here I have adopted the opinion that this poem and the next, “The Lady of
the Xiang River,” form a dialogic exchange between the two deities of the Xiang
River, the largest river in the Chu region. As parts of a shamanistic ritual, they
were spoken and performed respectively by a female (in “The Lord of the Xiang
River”) and a male (in “The Lady of the Xiang River”) shaman in search of each
other.6
Several important features of this poem were further developed by Qu Yuan
in “On Encountering Trouble.” First of all, the central motif of the poem is a love
quest. The quest is conducted in a peculiarly shamanistic style: the protagonist
rides on supernatural creatures, crosses between heaven and earth, and com-
mands the natural world to be at her service. The quest, however, fails because
her lord breaks his promise.7 This failure produces a profound melancholy that
informs the entire verse. It also causes a temporary estrangement from her lover-
deity; yet, despite all the disappointment, she remains loyal to him in the end. As
we shall see, Qu Yuan appropriated this motif in “On Encountering Trouble” and
made it into the central metaphor of his relationship with his monarch and state.
Also noteworthy is the use of floral imagery in this poem. Beautiful flowers and
plants are important components of a shamanistic ritual; they represent the sin-
cerity, beauty, and solemnity of a religious performance. In the hands of Qu Yuan,
however, this feature was given a moral dimension; it became a vital part of his
symbolism in “On Encountering Trouble.”
The companion piece, “The Lady of the Xiang River,” demonstrates many simi-
lar features. Its central motif is also the quest for a lover-deity. One noticeable dif-
ference is the section describing an imaginary tryst and the much-expanded floral
imagery used to portray it (lines 19–32). Another similarity is that the last section
of the verse (lines 35–40) is nearly identical to that of the “Lord of the Xiang River.”
This has prompted some critics to claim that, unlike the main body of the two