Song Jiang - Song Jiang's Poem

Song Jiang's Poem

This is the poem hinting rebellion written by Song Jiang when he was drunk at Xunyang Tower in Jiangzhou.

自幼曾攻經史，長成亦有權謀。

I've read the classics and annals since I was a child,
When I grew up I learnt the art of trickery.

恰如猛虎臥荒丘，潛伏爪牙忍受。

Just like a crouching ferocious tiger in the wild,
sheathing its claws and jaws while waiting and enduring.

不幸刺文雙頰，那堪配在江州。

How unfortunate to be branded on both cheeks,
and exiled to Jiangzhou.

他年若得報冤讎，血染潯陽江口!

If one day I can redress my grievances,
the Xunyang River will be covered in blood!

Song Jiang then read what he wrote, laughing hysterically as he did. He drank several more cups of wine and started behaving wildly, clapping his hands and dancing with joy. He picked up the ink brush and wrote another four lines as follows:

心在山東身在吳，飄蓬江海謾嗟籲。

My heart is in Shandong but I'm in Wu,
I wander around alone sighing.

他時若遂淩雲誌，敢笑黃巢不丈夫!

If one day I can realize my noble ambitions,
I dare to laugh at Huang Chao for not being a real man!

He then added "Work of Song Jiang from Yuncheng" (鄆城宋江作) at the end.

The poem is interpreted as inciting rebellion against the government mainly because of the last two lines. Huang Chao started a rebellion in the late Tang Dynasty, causing the dynasty to be weakened and leading to its eventual collapse. The last two lines were thus interpreted by Huang Wenbing as: "If one day Song Jiang ever gets an opportunity to start a rebellion (against the Song Dynasty), he'll do something greater than Huang Chao."

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