Celebrating the Lunar New Year of 2025: Snake Verses from Ancient China
Last year was the Chinese Year of the Dragon, and we translated two poems about dragons. With the imminent arrival of the Chinese Year of the Snake, we have translated two poems centered around this creature – the snake.
咏史诗·大泽 Poems on History, The Big Swamp 胡曾 (Author: Hu Zeng, 9th century) 白蛇初断路人通，white snake initially stop/block road people pass through 汉祖龙泉血刃红。Han emperor dragon spring blood edge of a sword red 不是咸阳将瓦解，no is Xianyang about to collapse/disintegrate 素灵那哭月明中。white spirit how cry moon bright among
Translation: The white snake let no traveler pass until the new Han emperor Stained his sword red with the white snake’s blood. If it weren’t for the collapse of the old Qin Dynasty, Why would the white snake’s mother cry beneath the bright moon?
咏史 Poems on History 李商隐 （Author: Li Shangyin, 9th century) 历览前贤国与家，experience look through previous wise and able nation and family 成由勤俭破由奢。success because of diligence frugality collapse because of luxury 何须琥珀方为枕，how/why need amber square/just make pillow 岂得真珠始是车。how/why acquire real pearl begin is carriage 运去不逢青海马，luck/destiny leave no meet green sea horse 力穷难拔蜀山蛇。strength end difficult pull out/eliminate Shu mountain snake 几人曾预南薰曲，how many people in the past hear south fragrant grass melody 终古苍梧哭翠华。eternal ancient Cang Wu cry kingfisher feather magnificent
Translation: Examine the fate of wise nations, able families. Success came from diligence and frugality, While collapse arose from extravagance. Why is it necessary to use amber for pillows? Why get real pearls to decorate carriages? When fortune fades, emperors can’t find their Qinghai horses. When strength is gone, it’s hard to defend against the Shu Mountain snakes How many people have heard the Southern Wind song in the good king’s palace? Always, I weep at the thought of his tomb, decorated with kingfisher feathers in Cangwu.
Translation notes:
The first poem, written by Hu Zeng of the Tang dynasty, tells the legend of the first Han dynasty emperor, who rose from being a low-ranking official. Before he became emperor, he killed a white snake blocking his path. Later, his followers encountered an old woman crying by the road, claiming that her son, the white snake, was killed by the son of the red emperor. In ancient Chinese cosmology, red follows white, symbolizing the new emperor. The story likely emerged after the Han dynasty's establishment to legitimize the new ruler. The 'white spirit' in the poem's last line refers to the old woman mourning her son's death and the impending fall of Xianyang, the Qin dynasty's capital. The white color is associated with the Qin dynasty, which preceded the Han dynasty. Therefore, we translated the 'white spirit' directly as the 'white snake's mother' in the last line and 'Xianyang' in the third sentence as the 'old Qin dynasty.' We thought Western readers might not be familiar with 'white spirit' and 'Xianyang,' but would understand why the snake's mother would cry for her son. The National Museum of Asian Arts in DC has a 19th-century Japanese painting depicting this story.
The second poem, written by Li Shangyin, a renowned poet of the late Tang dynasty, mourns Emperor Wenzong of Tang. Unlike his predecessors, who lived extravagantly, Emperor Wenzong cut unnecessary royal expenses and led a relatively frugal life. He made significant efforts to eliminate the eunuchs who controlled the palace guards and the military, aiming to strengthen and make the Tang empire more prosperous. Unfortunately, his efforts were unsuccessful. In the poem, the 'Qinhai horse' is a metaphor for talented government officials who could have potentially helped the emperor. The 'Shu mountain snake' comes from a legendary story about five soldiers sent by the king of the Shu nation to welcome a beautiful woman. On their way, they encountered the 'Shu mountain snake,' which blocked their path. Despite their efforts to defeat or distract the snake, they failed, and the mountain collapsed, turning the soldiers into stone statues. In the poem, the 'Shu mountain snake' symbolizes the eunuchs whom the emperor failed to eliminate. The last line is difficult to understand, but it references Cangwu, where King Shun, an ancient Chinese king known for his wisdom and great accomplishments, was buried. Kingfisher feathers, used to decorate the emperor's carriages and possibly tombs in ancient Chinese culture, are also mentioned. The poet compares King Shun with Emperor Wenzong, lamenting the well-intentioned but ultimately failed efforts of the emperor.
The name of the Lunar New Year follows the twelve Chinese Zodiacs. Interestingly, some Zodiacs, like the dragon, are considered mythical creatures symbolizing the royal family of China. In contrast, others, like the snake, are seen as more mundane, likely because they are more commonly encountered in the real world. Snakes are also sometimes associated with or used as metaphors for evil or negative forces, as reflected in the two poems.