Page:The works of Li Po - Obata.djvu/206

 Li Po the Chinese Poet

��sire to show your high regard for men of great talent, begin with me who have but small talent!"

King Chao took the advice. He built the Gold Pa- goda, and there he waited upon Kuo Wei as his teacher. Then many men of ability came from all parts' of China to King Chao, and with their aid he became the most powerful of all kings.

The Black Ears was a famous swift horse.

Yo-I was one of those great men who came to King Chao. Li Po laments that now there is no sovereign seeking as earnestly as King Chao for men of talent. And these, of whom he is one, have no opportunity.

3 Just in what prefecture Wei was stationed is not known. When his official term was over, he returned to Hsin-yang, a town on the west side of Chang-an. Sometimes the two names are applied synonymously to the capital.

The Chinese made a great deal of leave-taking, often erecting as in this case tents on the wayside and offer- ing sacrifices to the god of the road for the safety of the one setting out on his journey.

These passages refer, of course, to tUe rebellion of An Lu-shan. General Ku Shu defended the Han-ku Pass, which is an older name for Tun Kuan. By the twin imperial cities the poet very probably means Hsing- yang and Chang-an, unless he means the latter and city of Lo-yang. See the Introduction.

4 The imperial prince i. e. Li Ling, the Prince of Yung. See the Introduction.

Li Po was quite willing to join the staff of the prince

at the beginning; but when his rebellious intent became

obvious, the poet retired to the mountain of Luh, near

Kiu-kiang, or Hsin-yang, as it was called at the time.

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