— Tang Yanqian
Flirting with vernal breeze, the willow sways so tender.
Who in the world can vie with it but the waist slender?
It is planted at random by the riverside.
How many maids fond of its leaves of hunger died?
Note
Tang Yanyan (c. 847–893) was a late Tang Dynasty poet known for his refined, allusive style and mastery of historical and romantic themes. Influenced by Li Shangyin, his poetry often blends elegance with subtle irony, using classical imagery to explore beauty, desire, and the passage of time.
His poem “Weeping Willow” (Chui Liu) is a witty and imaginative tribute to the willow tree, personifying it as a graceful, almost flirtatious presence. The opening line – “It playfully tangles the spring breeze, full of charm” – suggests the willow’s branches dance with intention. The poet then boldly declares that no one in the world dares rival its lightness and elegance.
The final couplet draws on a famous anecdote from the Chu kingdom: court ladies, seeking to please King Chu, starved themselves to achieve waists as slender as willow branches – but failed. The willow, however, needs no effort; its “slender waist” is natural, effortless beauty. By saying the king “planted it idly by the riverbank,” Tang Yanyan adds gentle irony: even a ruler’s whim cannot replicate nature’s grace.
Through this playful yet sophisticated verse, Tang transforms the willow into a symbol of innate elegance that human artifice can never truly imitate.
Story behind the poem
During the late Tang Dynasty, the imperial court was rife with corruption. High officials vied with one another to curry favor, priding themselves on their ability to guess the emperor’s wishes and excelling in flattery and sycophancy. The poet deeply despised this moral decay, and his indignation toward such a hypocritical and servile society inspired him to write this poem—using the willow not just as an image of natural grace, but as a subtle satire: while courtiers starve their souls trying to mimic elegance for political gain, true refinement, like that of the willow, is effortless, honest, and beyond imitation.
垂柳
— 唐彦谦
绊惹春风别有情，
世间谁敢斗轻盈？
楚王江畔无端种，
饿损纤腰学不成。
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