Sao P oe t ry : t He Lyr i cS of c h u 53done just that. Pulled by his dragon steeds, accompanied by phoenixes and other
supernatural creatures, the poet travels much farther this time, to the extreme far
west of the world. At the peak of this dazzling journey, however, just as the poet
“had ascended the splendor of the heavens,” he cannot but suddenly look down at
his “old home.” This seemingly inadvertent act causes the sudden halt and sub-
sequent collapse of this most fantastic “far journey.” Despite all the power and
majesty, heavenly trips such as this pale in comparison with the poet’s mundane
longing for his “old home.” Such supernatural flights are intended to transcend
the world and its imperfections, but in the end, they serve to foreground the po-
et’s stubborn and powerful attachment to it. In other words, the splendid para-
phernalia of shamanism are appropriated by the poet to promote a fundamentally
humanistic theme, which is his profound engagement with the human world.
Luan 46 亂曰 (luàn yuē)
Enough! 已矣哉 (yĭ yǐ zāi)
There are no true men in the state: no one understands me. 國無人莫我知兮 (guó wú rén mò wŏzhī xi)
370 Why should I cleave to the city of my birth? 又何懷乎故都 (yòu hé huái hū gù dū)
Since none is worthy to work with in making good government 莫足與為美政兮 (mò zú yŭ wéi mĕi zhèng xi)
I shall go and join Peng Xian in the place where he abides. 吾將從彭咸之所居 (wú jiāng cóng péng xián zhī suŏ jū)
[CCBZ, 3–47] 47
The last section, which is equivalent to a coda in a musical performance, sums
up the theme of the poem. The poet reiterates his alienation from the world and
states again his wish to “join Peng Xian in the place where he abides.” As indicated
earlier, most critics regard this to be Qu Yuan’s statement of his intention to com-
mit suicide, although some consider it to be the expression of his desire to become
a shaman and spend the rest of his life as a recluse. It is important to note that
what prompts this act is the poet’s realization that in this world “none is worthy to
work with in making good government.” This situates the poem in the context of
the human world. It also helps to “naturalize” or render normal the fantastic and
unconventional elements of the poem, such as those inspired by shamanism and
its rituals.
“On Encountering Trouble” is one of the longest poems in the Chinese poetic
tradition, but, as we have seen, it is also repetitive in many of its sections. The
repetitiveness of the text seems to serve a purpose, which is to stress the poet’s
constant efforts to uphold his principles in the face of constant persecution by his
enemies. It also helps to emphasize the difficult decisions that he had to make in
a world he saw as unjust. Throughout Chinese history, many intellectuals often
found themselves in similar situations. For those familiar with “On Encountering
Trouble,” the poem portrayed an experience with which they could identify. Its
beautiful language and dazzling journeys provided them with momentary relief
from the pressing hardships of life. Qu Yuan’s railings against the injustice of the
world offered them a means to vent their frustrations and anger, especially in later