If history is deprived of the Truth, we are left with nothing but an idle, unprofitable tale
What follows is the final part of my interpretation and translation of 白居易‘s 长恨歌. Ancient Chinese literature is notoriously difficult to translate to English due to the sheer amount of mythological, idiomatic, cultural, historical, and literary references through which meanings are conveyed in the Chinese language. By reading a poem such as this, one can …
What follows is the second part of my interpretation of 长恨歌 (the song of everlasting regret) by 白居易. See part 1 here: https://venividiveritas.com/2023/05/09/the-song-of-everlasting-regret-part-1/ 九重城阙烟尘生，千乘万骑西南行。 Above the forbidden city loomed the smoke of war. Southwest the host travelled, a thousand horses, ten thousand men. 翠华摇摇行复止，西出都门百余里。 The emperor's jade crown swayed and turned, the fire of rebellion …
What follows is a personal interpretation and translation of the famed Chinese poem 长恨歌，or The Song of Everlasting Regret, by the poet 白居易. Written in the ninth century, it depicts the tragic love story between an emperor and his concubine and is renowned for its literary flourish and narrative flow. This article covers the first …
Historical Context The 620s AD were the darkest days in the history of the Roman Empire. The western provinces had long been lost to the Germanic barbarians who had transformed former imperial holdings into arenas for ambitious warlords. On the Danube frontier, the Avar Khaganate had overrun the Balkans, sacking cities and defiling citizens all …
Historical Context Saint Eirene of Athens was the first and last female emperor to rule the Roman Empire both in name and in actuality. Her images appeared on coins bearing masculine imperial titles, and her policies on both religious and geopolitical affairs shaped the Roman world for many years after her passing. And yet, although …
Veni Vidi Veritatem 