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Updated: June 4, 2025
He was I suppose the greatest poet since Ch'u Yuan, who came some seven centuries earlier; it is from him we get the story some of you may know under the title Red Peach-Blossom Inlet.
The statesman-poet Ch'u Yuan, B.C. 332-295, who drowned himself in despair at his country's outlook, and whose body is still searched for annually at the Dragon-Boat festival, frequently alludes to a Supreme Being: Almighty God, Thou who art impartial, And dost appoint the virtuous among men as Thy Assistants.
Leaving the service of the Chou on account of Li's dissolute living, they went to live in Wu, and brought victory to that state in its war with the Ch'u State, then returned to their own country, and became pillars of the Chou State under Li's successor.
A few days later a young man named Ch'u Wang-sun arrived with the intention, as he said, of placing himself under the instruction of Chuang Shêng. When he heard that he was dead he went and performed prostrations before his tomb, and afterward took up his abode in an empty room, saying that he wished to study.
Not for such an age as that Chwangtse and Ch'u Yuan wrote, but indeed you may say for all time. What light from the Blue Pearl could then shine forth and be seen, would, in the thick fog and smoke-gloom, take on wild fantastic guise; which, as we shall see, it did: but what Chwangtse had written remained, pure immortality, to kindle up better ages to come.
"Chwantse was fishing in the river P'u when the Prince of Ch'u sent two high officials to ask him to take charge of the administration. "Chwangtse went on fishing, and without turning his head said: 'I have heard that in Ch'u there is a sacred tortoise which has been dead now some three thousand years.
A Confession and its Results Next morning, the two sons-in-law of the King heard of the turn things had taken during the night. The whole palace was in a state of the greatest confusion. When he was informed that the priest had been killed, the King called Ch'u Ting-lieh and ordered him to have the murderer arrested. Su Ta was put to the torture and confessed all that he knew.
Where, however, there was no admittance for him; and full of sorrow he returned to earth. * Chinese Literature, by Dr. H. A. Giles. What is said about the Li Sao here comes from that work except the suggestions as to its inner meaning. On the banks of the Mi-lo a fisherman met him, and asked him the cause of his trouble. "All the world is foul," answered Ch'u Yuan, "and I alone am clean."
Ch'u Yuan had followers in that and the next century; but perhaps his greatness was hardly to be approached for a thousand years. But we were still in Tiger-time, and with quite the worst of it to come.
The Dragon was yet a long way off; though indeed it must be allowed that flight, when Chwangtse wrote and Ch'u Yuan sung, was surprised with the far churr of startling wings under the stars.
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