Vilande drakens elegi

Ett exempel på tillfällesdiktning i Berättelsen om de tre rikena

Abstract

The Sleeping Dragon’s Elegy: An Example of Occasional Verse in The Romance of the Three Kingdoms

This article examines one example of occasional verse in the classic Chinese novel The Romance of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguo yanyi 三国演义, Luo Guanzhong, 14th century), with a focus on the historical situation in which the poem is placed and the political implications ascribed to it. The Romance of the Three Kingdoms is a work of tremendous cultural impact. Its retelling of historical events during the late Han dynasty continues to shape the general understanding of this period, regardless of the narrative being widely accepted as fiction based on history. The poem discussed here is one example of fictional occasional verse that highlights the importance of the practice during the period in question as well as during the early Ming dynasty when the novel was written. The novel takes place during a time in Chinese history called the “Three Kingdoms” period when the Han dynasty was falling apart into smaller, independent states. The three states of Wei, Wu, and Shu, their internal struggles and the wars between them, form the centre of the narrative. Crucial to an appreciation of the poem is the Battle of Red Cliff, a naval confrontation that took place in the year 208 AD, when the allied forces of Sun Quan and Liu Bei managed to overcome the otherwise stronger enemy. The battle brought together Shu military strategist Zhuge Liang, the “author” of the poem according to the novel, and the poem’s subject – Wu commander-in-chief Zhou Yu. In 210, upon hearing about Zhou Yu’s early demise, Zhuge Liang decides to attend his funeral despite hostile sentiments among Wu generals. He presents the poem – an elegy retelling Zhou Yu’s life and accomplishments – to persuade the Wu generals of his innocence in the matter of Zhou Yu’s death.