Du Fu

712 - 770 / Henan Province / China

The Temple Of Zhuge Liang

Zhu-ge's great name
hangs over the whole world;
the revered statesman's portrait
awes with its sublimity.
The empire carved into thirds
hindered his designs,
yet he soars through the ages,
a lone feather in the sky.
He is brother to such greats
as Yi Yin and Lu Shang;*
if he had established control,
Xiao and Cao would be forgotten.
But the cycle had passed; Han fortunes
could not be restored.
His military strategy a failure,
his hopes dashed, his body perished.
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