1. Nan-ch'ang was the administrative center of the commandery of Yüchang during the Han. In the T'ang, the area was redrawn and the name changed to Hung Prefecture.

2. The constellations Wings (I) and Crossbar (Chen) occupy a southern area of the sky that was believed by astrologers to be in sympathetic correspondence with the ancient state of Ch'u and the Ching Region. Transverse Mountain (Heng-shan), the Sacred Mount of the South, is located in modern Nanyüeh, Hu-nan.

3. Man-ching refers to the area of ancient Ch'u generally corresponding to modern Hu-pei and Hu-nan; Ou-yüeh refers to the area of eastern Che-chiang.

4. An allusion to a pair of magical swords, Dragon Spring ( Lung-ch'üan ) and Great Mount ( T'ai-o ), which emitted a purple energy into the sky near these constellations during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Western Chin dynasty (r. 265-290). This was noticed by the official Chang Hua (232-300), who was told by Lei Huan that the brilliance originated in the city of Feng-ch'eng in Yü-chang (later Hung Prefecture). Lei was then dispatched to the city as magistrate, where he uncovered the gleaming swords beneath the foundation of an ancient prison. He presented one to Chang and kept the other for himself. After the deaths of both men, the swords leaped into a lake and became dragons. See Chin shu 4:1075-1076.

5. Hsü Chih (97-168), courtesy name Ju-tzu, was from Nan-ch'ang, Yü-chang, in what is today Chiang-hsi. He was known as a righteous scholar who refused to serve in the corrupt court of Emperor Huan (r. 146-167) during the Eastern Han dynasty. The governor of Yü-chang, Ch'en Fan (d. 168), generally discouraged guests except Hsü Chih. He provided a special couch for Hsü, which no one else was permitted to use. See Hou-Han shu 6: 1746.

6. Yü-wen Chün was an official recently appointed metropolitan governor of Li Prefecture in present-day Hu-nan.

7. The swords "Purple Lightning" ( Tzu-tien ) and "Pure Frost" ( Ch'ing-shuang ) allude to lines in Hsiao Ming's "Letter to Wang Seng-pien [d. 555]" ( Yü Wang Seng-pien shu ), later preserved in T'ai-p'ing yü-lan 299:5a. Here, the lines praise the military ability of General Wang, who, along with Academician Meng, remains unidentified.

8. References to Li Yüan-ying, Prince of T'eng.

9. Lake P'o-yang (P'o-yang-hu), the largest freshwater lake in China, now covers about 1,300 square miles and is located m the northern part of modern Chiang-hsi province. The text refers to it by an ancient name, "P'eng-li."

10. Modern Heng-yang, Hu-nan. The Peak of the Returning Geese (Hui-yenfeng) stands just south of the modern city of Heng-yang and is considered the first of the seventy-two peaks forming Transverse Mountain, the Sacred Mount of the South. Geese were said to stop their migration here in winter before returning north.

11. An allusion to a fable in Lieh-tzu 5:15b ( SPPY ed.), where a tragic song sung by the singing master Ch'in Ch'ing was said to have shaken the forest and halted the clouds.

12. The Sui Garden (Sui-yüan) was built in Sui-yang in the south of what is today Shang-ch'iu District, Ho-nan, by Liu Wu, Prince Hsiao of Liang, during the Western Han dynasty. Celebrated for its abundant green bamboo, it was the site of many gatherings of noted writers and poets. "The Magistrate of P'eng-tse," a town located in modern P'eng-tse District, Chiang-hsi, refers to the lyric poet T'ao Ch'ien, who served in this position and who often wrote of his fondness for wine.

13. The former city of Yeh, located in the west of present-day kin-chang District, Chiang-hsi, became Ts'ao Ts'ao's (155-220) capital when he was made prince of Wei in 213 and later became one of the five capitals of the Wei dynasty. It was one of the major cities of the central plains area until destroyed by war in 580. The poet Ts'ao Chih (192-232), Ts'ao Ts'ao's third son, wrote a poem at Yeh, "At a Banquet" ( Kung-yen shih ), which included the line "Autumn orchids cover the long slope; vermilion lotus burst forth in the green pond." Lin-ch'uan was a commandery whose administrative center was located in the west of modern Lin-ch'uan, Chiang-hsi. "The Governor of Lin-ch'uan" may refer to the calligrapher Wang Hsi-chih, who served in this position; however, some commentators believe it refers to the poet Hsieh Ling-yün, who also held office in Lin-ch'uan as an administrator.

14. The "four excellent conditions" ( szu-mei ), mentioned in Hsieh Ling-yün's "Preface to Eight Poems Written in Imitation of the Poetry Gathering of the Crown Prince of Wei at Yeh" ( Ni Wei T'ai-tzu yeh-chung-chi pa-shou ping-hsü ), are a fine day, beautiful scenery, a delighted heart, and a happy occasion. The "two rarities" ( er-nan ) are a worthy host and elegant guests.

15. "Ch'ang-an" refers to the T'ang capital to the northwest; "Wu-kuei" refers to the area of Wu Commandery to the east, administered from what is now Su-chou, Chiang-su. "Beneath the sun" ( jih-hsia ) and "among the clouds" ( yün-chien ) play on additional names For Ch'ang-an and the Wu area, respectively.

16. "Southern Ocean" (Nan-ming) refers to Wang Po's destination, Chiaochih. The group of five stars known as "Celestial Pillar" (T'ien-chu) and the "North Star" (Pei-ch'en) are used as conventional references to the emperor and the imperial court. Here, they refer to Wang's hopes of an official career in the capital.

17. The Proclamation Hall (Hsüan-tien) was the central audience hall in the Wei-yang Palace, where Emperor Wen of the Western Han (r. 180-157 B.C.) received the Confucian scholar Chia 1 (200-168 B.C.) after he was recalled from exile. They are said to have discussed supernatural phenomena such as ghosts and spirits.

18. Feng T'ang served in a number of positions in government throughout his life, ultimately rising to administrator of Ch'u. At the age of ninety he was finally recommended as a worthy to serve Emperor Wu of the Western Han, but he had to decline because of old age. Li Kuang was a general during the Western Han who achieved a number of victories over the Hsiung-nu tribe but was never rewarded with a fief.

19. Chia I was a reformer highly regarded by Emperor Wen of the Western Han, who intended to appoint him to high office. However, he was slandered by conservative officials, and the emperor demoted him instead to Grand Mentor to the Prince of Ch'ang-sha. Four years later he was recalled from exile and granted an audience m the Proclamation Hall (see above, note 17). Liang Hung was an eremite who offended Emperor Chang of the Eastern Han (r. 75-88) in a satiric poem when he visited Lo-yang. He and his wife were forced to change their names and live secretly along the coast of modern Shantung to avoid arrest.

20. The Spring of Avarice (T'an-ch'üan) was said to be located in Stone Gate (Shih-men), about six miles north of modern Kuang-chou, Kuang-tung. Drinking from it was supposed to stimulate insatiable greed, although the official Wu Yin-chih, while posted to this area, drank from it without being affected. See Chin shu 89:2341.

21. An allusion to a fable in Chuang-tzu 73:26:7-11, where a fish stranded in a dry carriage rut signifies being caught in a difficult situation.

22. An allusion to the mythical p'eng -bird mentioned in Chuang-tzu 1:1:1-8 that transforms itself from the k'un -fish in the Northern Sea and rides the wind ninety thousand li to the Southern Sea. The p'eng -bird became a conventional symbol of the man of ambition. Flying in the reverse direction toward the north, as mentioned here, implies journeying to the capital to obtain an official position. In Hou-Han shu 3:646, the Eastern Han general Feng I's victory over rebels was described as a case of having succeeded in the west, where the sun sets over the mulberry and elm trees, after having failed in the eastern corner of the world, where the sun rises. With this sentiment, Wang Po expresses his hope that he can achieve official success in later years despite the obstacles he has so far encountered in his youth.

23. Meng Ch'ang was a governor with a virtuous reputation during the reign of Emperor Shun of the Eastern Han (r. 125-144). He was not, however, appointed to a high post under the succeeding Emperor Huan, though he was highly recommended.

24. The poet Juan Chi (210-263) was a member of a group of eccentric figures known as the "Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove" (Chu-lin ch'i-hsien). His strange behavior was a strategy to avoid dangerous political involvement at a time when the Szu-ma clan was usurping power at court toward the end of the Wei dynasty. In addition to frequently seeking refuge in wine, he would ride about in his carriage and, upon encountering an obstacle in the road, become despondent and return home.

25. Chung Chün (140-113 B.C.), while still in his twenties, was sent as an emissary to the Nan-yüeh Kingdom during the Western Hah dynasty. He requested that the emperor give him long reins, which he would use to bind the King of Nan-yüeh, bringing him back to the capital as a prisoner. "Requesting reins" ( ch'ing-ying ) became a conventional phrase meaning to gain political power.

26. An allusion to Pan Ch'ao (32-102), who, while serving as a scribe during the Eastern Han, decided to cast aside his occupation and join the army in order to earn a fief. After achieving success in campaigns in the Western Region, he was enfeoffed as Marquis Who Pacified Distant Regions (Ting-yüan-hou). Tsung Ch'üeh was a general under Emperor Wen of the [Liu] Sung dynasty (r. 424-453) who was enfeoffed as marquis of T'ao-yang. In his youth, he was asked by his uncle what his ambition was, and he replied that he wished to ride on a great wind and smash the waves for ten thousand li .

27. An allusion to a clever reply by General Hsieh Hsüan (343-388) to his uncle, the aristocratic Chief Minister Hsieh An (320-388), recorded in Shih-shuo hsin-yü: shang A:46a. When Hsieh An asked why everyone hoped for sons, Hsieh Hsüan compared them to "fragrant irises and jade trees" ( chih-lan yü-shu ) that people desired to cultivate in their courtyards. The mother of the philosopher Mencius moved three times in order to raise him in a proper environment. Eventually she settled near a school. See Lieh-nü chuan 1:10a-11b ( SPPY ed.).

28. A reference to Lun-yü 34:16:13, which records Confucius stopping his son Po-yü as he hastened across the courtyard to urge him to study the Book of Poetry and the Book of Ritual . Here, Wang Po is restating his intention to visit his father in Chiao-chih.

29. Dragon Gate (Lung-men) is a point on the Yellow River in the northwest of modern Ho-chin District, Shan-hsi. It was said to have been opened up as a passage for the river by the Hsia emperor Yü. According to popular legend, carp that manage to make it upstream beyond here turn into dragons; see T'aip'ing kuang-chi 466:8. Thus, "passing through Dragon Gate" ( teng lung-men ) came to signify fame and success in official life. Those who received support from the patron Li Ying during the Eastern Han dynasty, for example, were said to have accomplished that feat; see Hou-Han shu 8:2195.

30. Yang Te-i, who served as director of the palace kennels under Emperor Wu of the Western Han, recommended the writer Szu-ma Hsiang-ju (179-117 B.C.) to the court. When the emperor read his "Rhapsody on the Great Man" ( Ta-jen fu ), he is said to have felt like he was "soaring among the clouds" ( ling-yün ). Here, Wang Po is referring to the quality of his own preface.

31. See 6. Yang Hsüan-chih, The Bazaar of Lo-yang , note 12. Chung Tzu-ch'i once praised Yü Po-ya's playing for its evocation of lofty mountains and flowing water.

32. The Orchid Pavilion refers to Wang Hsi-chih's gathering there in 353. The Catalpa Garden (Tzu-tse) was an estate to the northwest of Lo-yang owned by the poet Shih Ch'ung (249-300), where literary gatherings were also held.

33. See Han-shih wai-chuan 7:14a ( CTPS ed.): "Confucius said, 'The Noble Man feels compelled to express himself when he ascends to great heights.'"

34. The critic Chung Hung (ca. 465-518) in his Evaluation of Poetry ( Shih-p'in , ca. 513-517) compared the talent of Lu Chi (261-303) to an ocean and that of P'an Yüeh (247-300) to a river.

35. South Bank (Nan-p'u) is located in the southwest of modern Nan-ch'ang.

36. West Mountain (Hsi-shan) is ten miles northwest of Nan-ch'ang.

37. A reference to the Kan River (Kan-chiang).

38. Translated from Ch'u-T'ang szu-chieh wen-chi 5:11a-12a ( SPPY ed.).