– By Bai Juyi
I offer you one method to resolve your doubts,
No need to drill tortoise shells or divine with yarrow stalks.
To test jade, you must burn it for three full days;
To distinguish timber, you must wait seven years.
When the Duke of Zhou was terrified by slanderous rumors,
Wang Mang was humble and reverent, before he usurped the throne.
Had they both died young, in those early days,
Who could ever have known the truth or falsehood of their lives?
Note
The Author and the Poem’s Purpose
Bai Juyi (772–846) was one of the most celebrated poets of the Tang Dynasty, known for his accessible, socially conscious verse. This poem is part of a series titled Fangyan (“On Freeing Speech” or “Unrestrained Words”), written around 810 when Bai Juyi was exiled to Jiangzhou (modern Jiujiang, Jiangxi). The poems were a response to the political slander and false accusations that had led to his demotion. Rather than expressing bitterness, Bai uses this poem to offer philosophical consolation to a friend (and to himself): true character can only be judged over time, and present misfortune does not define a person’s ultimate worth.
“Drilling Tortoise Shells and Divining with Yarrow Stalks”
This line refers to the two primary methods of divination in ancient China. During the Shang Dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BC), oracle bones – usually ox shoulder blades or turtle plastrons – were heated with a metal rod until they cracked; the patterns of the cracks were then interpreted as messages from the ancestors or gods. Later, during the Zhou Dynasty, yarrow stalks (蓍草) were used in a more complex numerical divination system, which eventually became associated with theI Ching (Book of Changes). Bai Juyi is saying that you do not need supernatural methods to determine the truth about a person; time and observation are sufficient.
“To Test Jade, You Must Burn It for Three Full Days”
This line draws on an ancient belief recorded in the Huainanzi and other classical texts: genuine jade is exceptionally hard and heat-resistant, and it was said that true jade could withstand being burned for three days without being damaged, while fake jade would crack or discolor. This became a metaphor for testing a person’s integrity under extreme pressure – only those with authentic moral character can endure prolonged hardship without breaking.
“To Distinguish Timber, You Must Wait Seven Years”
This refers to a proverbial saying about certain types of valuable timber, particularly the zhang (樟, camphor) and yu (豫, a type of oak or hardwood) trees, which were said to require seven years of growth before their true quality could be determined. The metaphor extends the jade-testing image: just as wood needs time to mature before its worth is known, a person’s character needs time to reveal itself fully.
The Duke of Zhou and the Slanderous Rumors
The Duke of Zhou (周公, c. 11th century BC), whose personal name was Ji Dan, was the younger brother of King Wu of Zhou and served as regent for his young nephew, King Cheng, after King Wu’s death. Despite his loyalty and his crucial role in establishing the Zhou Dynasty’s ritual and political order, the Duke was accused by his brothers and others of plotting to seize the throne for himself. These “slanderous rumors” caused him great distress, and he temporarily withdrew from court to avoid conflict. Eventually, his innocence was proven, and he is remembered in Chinese tradition as the paragon of loyal ministerial virtue. Bai Juyi uses the Duke of Zhou as an example of a truly good man who was temporarily misunderstood.
Wang Mang’s False Humility
Wang Mang (45 BC–23 AD) was a nephew of the Empress Dowager of the Western Han Dynasty. In his early career, he cultivated an image of extraordinary humility, generosity, and Confucian virtue. He was widely praised by scholars and officials alike, and many believed he was the ideal statesman. However, this was a carefully constructed facade. Over time, he accumulated power, and in 9 AD he usurped the throne, ending the Western Han and establishing the short-lived Xin Dynasty. His reign was marked by disastrous reforms and chaos, and he was eventually killed by rebels. Bai Juyi uses Wang Mang as the counterexample: a man who appeared virtuous but was ultimately revealed as a hypocrite and usurper.
The Philosophical Core: Time Reveals All
The final couplet drives home the poem’s central argument. If the Duke of Zhou had died during the period when he was accused of treason, he would have gone down in history as a traitor. If Wang Mang had died during the period when he was celebrated for his humility, he would have gone down in history as a saint. Only the full arc of a life reveals the truth. This was Bai Juyi’s way of consoling himself and his friends: the slander and injustice they were suffering in the present would be judged by history, and their true character would ultimately be vindicated.
放言五首·其三
白居易 〔唐代〕
赠君一法决狐疑，不用钻龟与祝蓍。
试玉要烧三日满，辨材须待七年期。
周公恐惧流言日，王莽谦恭未篡时。
向使当初身便死，一生真伪复谁知？
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