Saturday, January 1, 2011

Singing of History

詠史 (高適)
尚有綈袍贈
應憐范叔寒
不知天下士
猶作布衣看

To Sing - History (Gao Shi)
Yet - To Have - Coarse Silk - Robe - To Present As A Gift
Should - To Pity - Fan - Uncle - To Tremble
Not - To Know - Sky - Below - Honorific
Still - To Pretend - Cloth - Clothes - To Regard

Singing of History (Gao Shi)
I yet have a coarse silk robe to present as a gift
Because I pity Fan Shu who is trembling
Unaware he was the prime minister
I still regarded him as a commoner

范叔: Fan Shu. A person's name.

士: In this context, '士' refers to Fan Shu's rank of prime minister.

布衣: commoner

This poem is about a visiting dignitary who mistakes a man he previously accused of betraying state secrets to still be a commoner instead of a prime minister.

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