Liu Bang's Poem, "Song of the Mighty Wind" 大风歌

 

Liu Bang was born a lowly peasant, but through cunning he was able to defeat many dangerous rivals and become the founding Emperor of the Han dynasty. His rise from idle wastrel to outlaw, and from outlaw to warlord, and finally from warlord to emperor was a tale filled with tall adventures and deadly intrigues. The Han dynasty which he founded would last over 400 years, ushering a golden age of unprecedented peace and prosperity for his people. Even today, many Chinese people still refer to themselves the "Han." For Liu Bang's achievements, he was called Gaozu or literally the "High Ancestor" of the Han Dynasty. 

"Song of the Mighty Wind" was composed after Liu Bang vanquished one of his last foes- when he returned in triumph to his hometown in Pei County as an emperor. After calling on his old childhood friends, Liu Bang merrily feasted and celebrated with them for ten days. During one of these reveries, Liu- while drinking in the wine cellars sang this song. It has a rare 3 stanza structure and the language is simple. 

Music: The Mighty Wind Blows- intro to the 2012 Chinese TV series

"The Legend of Chu and Han" 楚汉传奇, or alternatively as "King's War" on Netflix. The series covers the fall of the Qin empire and the subsequent power struggle between Xiang Yu and Liu Bang. The intro song is a modified version of Liu Bang's poem.

大风起兮云飞扬，Dàfēng qǐ xī yún fēiyáng,
威加海内兮归故乡，Wēi jiā hǎinèi xī guī gùxiāng,
安得猛士兮守四方 Ān dé měngshì xī shǒu sìfāng

Literal Translation:

The mighty wind blows, scattering the flying clouds,
After meriting the unification of the world, (I) returned home.
(Will) fierce warriors guard the four corners

Plain Translation:

Ah the mighty wind blows, scattering the flying clouds,
After I unified the realm, I returned home.
How can I assign my fierce warriors to guard the four corners of our nation.

~"兮" was used as - similar to a poetic exclamation similar to "Ah!" or "Alas" so 大风起兮 could be translated as "Ah the mighty wind blows!" or "The mighty wind blows fiercely!"

~"海内" - "within the Seas" or: all lands within the 4 seas, since the ancient Chinese believes that the known world was a singular contiguous continent and that in its furthermost margins it was surrounded by 4 seas. 

Meaning

 

The poem is distinct in only having 3 stanzas. The first two stanzas are plain and straightforward, and began rather auspiciously, however the third reveals a sudden anxiety about the future. In many ways it was Liu Bang's own reflection at his career and at the nation's fortunes. The beginning image of the mighty wind blowing is one of excitement and auspiciousness, full of ambitions and vigor.

Rags to riches: Liu Bang was one of only a small handful of peasants to rise to the station of emperor in Chinese history. He not only helped defeating the mighty army of the first emperor of China but also absorbing many powerful warlords' armies as his own. Now a realm of princes and dukes all bowed to him. However, with his unification of China came new responsibilities and a new chapter in his life.

Liu Bang then describes himself returning to home after having united the realm and vanquished his foes. However the last line is not one of certainty, and could be read as a question. There is a shade of anxiety and paranoia about having to assign his fierce warriors to guard the frontiers and Liu might be expression his uncertainty and mistrust at this prospect. For a man of war who excels at winning in chaos, Liu bang reflects upon this new chapter- this complete change of lifestyles and all he could wonder is how to trust his warriors now they are left in peace. The future means ever vigilance and endless duty, and the weight of decisions are his alone now.

THE STRAIN OF ANXIETY

When viewing the poem in this context, then the mighty wind elicited in the beginning of the poem also could be read in a more complex manner. For during the creation of this poem, Liu Bang had already become quite anxious about ruling. In the 12 years since the consecration of his newly-built Han dynasty, the burgeoning empire already bitterly warred with 3 of Liu Bang's former allies, Zang Tu- the King of Yan, Xin- the King of Han, and Chen Yu-the King of Dai. Now the obvious flames of rebellion has been extinguished, but beynd the boarders the massive confederations of Xiongnu tribes in the northern steppes are still watching him, waiting for him to make a mistake. In the same way, embers of domestic rebels from within his own realm are still waiting for opportunities when Liu fails. They smile, but have daggers ready to run him down should the time comes. The country is still bubbling with troubles. While Liu Bang forgets himself among wine and old friends in the party he still endlessly think of all the forces trying to push the dynasty he created into the abyss.

However the Han frames the "Evil" Qin they have vanquished, the duty of protecting the realm remains the same. With the Qin gone and the Han taking sole responsibility for the realm it meant that no matter what happens they cannot fail against the threat from the north. Below: Han tomb relief depicting wars between Han soldiers and Xiongnu horse archers. Han soldiers are distinguished by their star shaped scale armor surcoat while the Xiongnu are marked by their distinctive conical cap and recurved bow. According to contemporary records the Xiongnu practiced skull binding to elongate their skulls.

"The mighty wind blows, scattering the clouds" could either be a reference to himself and his heroic achievements, because it is impersonal it could be a direct reference to the author's inner lofty ambitions. However, once one reads the poem then return back to the 1st line for a reread- then the mighty wind almost became an uncaring sign of changing nature and changing fortunes. Even for one who had unified the realm like an unchallenged giant, the winds of challenge and change does not wait- and while the world changes, there is still the endless responsibility of securing the nation. As an extension, the wind does not wait on his nation as well. As the wind blows, the gnawing question of how to protect the nation became more intense with ever reread. If one stacks the poem and repeats in a loop:

The mighty wind blows, scattering the flying clouds,

After I unified the realm, I returned home.

How can I assign my fierce warriors to guard the four corners of our nation...

The mighty wind blows, scattering the flying clouds,

After I unified the realm, I returned home.

How can I assign my fierce warriors to guard the four corners of our nation...

The mighty wind blows, scattering the flying clouds,

After I unified the realm, I returned home.

How can I assign my fierce warriors to guard the four corners of our nation...

In each reading, the last line became more and more pronounced because it almost addresses the audience with Liu Bang's question. It became a gnawing mantra that compounds in intensity. Always, the responsibility of successfully running the empire lies with its sole ruler, and here, the emperor himself lay bare his awareness of his endless duties. In this case, the snapshot of Liu Bang's own mind is filled with trepidation and misery.

A SOVEREIGN'S WORRIES

Music: Dong Zhuo trailer soundtrack

The logic set up by the poem also has a unique twist. Because the mighty wind was able to arise so high in a chaotic world and blow in all corners. If Liu Bang and the Han are compared to this strong, ambitious wind- to be uplifted because it rose up against something that was weak and corrupt, then doesn't it also mean that all it takes to doom the Han into chaos and have them erased from the 4 corners of the realm is another capricious "mighty wind?" If the Liu clan poorly governs the realm, doesn't it mean that they would be blown away by the new mighty wind? Liu Bang- ever clever, was intentional in framing the last part of the poem as a question to the reader/ listener. For in that moment he breaks the historical 4th wall and directly ask us that question.

If one could rise from humble origins and the rage of war to become the master of the world, doesn't it also mean that all it takes was another like him to topple the master? 

It reveals that Liu Bang’s helplessness, and that he can’t help but ask the world. Who can worry about the land as he does? Who can dutifully helm it with such frightful burdens? Who could he still trust? So many of  Liu Bang's compatriots have rebelled one by one, leaving him alone with his question. But while he asks this question, who can tell when the next mighty wind would blow. After all, the mighty wind waits for no one, and what else would be gone with the wind?.

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