To His Friend, Wei, the Good Governor
��written after he was allowed to return from banishment in 759. See the Introduction.
The first stanza tells of his early life of seclusion in the world of Taoistic visions; of his ambition; and of his disappointment at Chang-an, the western metropolis.
The Inn of Cavaliers and the Kun-ming Lake are both situated in the vicinity of Chang-an. At the time of Li Po*s departure from the capital {circa 7^.5) Wei was evidently in Chang-an and was able to give him the big farewell demonstration described herein.
2 Yu Chow, the northland, is in the present Chili prov- ince. It was here that An Lu-shan was stationed with his star-gleaming legions, and Li Po detected the Tartar general* s rebellious schemes, . though he was obliged to keep silent. It was this region which comprised the state of Yen in the J/.th century B. C. and where King Chao ruled and built the Gold Pagoda.
King Chao once questioned his retainer, Kuo Wei, as to the ways of attracting the great men of the time to his court. Kuo Wei told his liege the following par- able :
Once upon a time a certain king sent out his servant on a mission to secure a swift horse that could run a thousand li in a day. The servant returned with a bag- ful of bones of a horse which was said to have made a thousand li in a day. For these remains the servant had paid 500 pieces of gold. The king was angry, for he wanted a live horse. The servant replied, "When the world learns that your Majesty has spent 500 pieces of gold on a dead horse, the live ones will arrive without your looking for them." Indeed, three horses — all of them, one thousand li runners — arrived soon at the court. "So my king/' continued Kuo Wei, "if you really de- [179]
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