Poems on History of the Kaiyuan and Tianbao Years — Preface開元天寶詠史詩
Dongguk Isangguk Jip (Collected Works of Minister Yi of the Eastern Country) 東國李相國集 · Yi Gyubo · Compiled 1241 (Goryeo, 28th year of King Gojong); revised and enlarged 1251 · 1 passages · 117 Chinese characters · reading time 1.2 min
Dongguk Isangguk Jip (Collected Works of Minister Yi of the Eastern Country) Former Collection, Book 4 The collected writings of Yi Gyubo of Goryeo, gathered and cut in woodblock by his son Yi Ham in 1241 and revised and enlarged by his grandson Yi Ikbae in 1251. It holds poems and rhapsodies, memorials and reports sent up to the king, records written for temples and pagodas, stele and tomb inscriptions, letters and prefaces, and the state letters that passed to and from the Mongols during the invasions. The Lay of King Dongmyeong, which sings the founder of Goguryeo, stands in volume 3 of the first collection, and the daily life of a man who called himself the White Cloud Layman — with his wine, his zither and his verse — fills the later collection. The book closes with the last poem he wrote as his eyes failed and he laid down the brush, and with the dirge and tomb inscription others made for him after his death.
In the course of my reading I came upon the traces left by Emperor Minghuang (明皇) of Tang. Before the Kaiyuan (開元) years he was diligent in government and brought about good order, and the work of his great peace came near to that of Zhenguan (貞觀). After Tianbao (天寶) he grew slack in government, was held fast by his favorites, and trusted and employed slanderous and crooked men, until at last he brought on the revolt of An Lushan (安祿山) and was driven in flight to Western Shu (西蜀), so that the destiny of Tang was all but moved elsewhere. How should one not grieve? Therefore I have gathered the good deeds that may serve as a model and the evil deeds that may serve as a warning, and set them down in verse. Even where a matter has nothing to do with the sovereign, the good and the evil of that age were all the gradual dyeing of the sovereign's influence, and so I have picked these out and sung of them as well. How should I dare to add to the "Airs" (風) and the "Odes" (雅)? I mean only to show them to the young men newly at their studies.