The Story of the Three Poets in a Tavern

In the Kaiyuan period (713-742) the poets Wang Changling (d. c. 756), Gao Shi (c.702-765), and Wang Zhihuan (688- 742) were equals in fame.  At the time, their careers had yet met the opportunities, and they moved around roughly in the same circles. One day, the weather was cold and there was light snow, the three poets went together to an alehouse to buy a drink. Suddenly, about ten musicians or so from the Pear Garden walked upstairs to set up a party. The three poets stood up and stepped aside, huddled by the brazier to watch. Shortly, four lovely singing girls arrived one after another, richly adorned and beguiling, in the most fashionable splendor. Soon they began playing music; all were popular songs of the day. Wang Changling and the others in secret made a deal with one another and said, “We are all known for writing poetry, yet we have never settled on who is the best. Today we can secretly watch these musicians and see what they sing – the person whose poems get sung the most wins.”

Presently one singer tapped out the rhythm and sang:

寒雨連江夜入吳，平明送客楚山孤。
洛陽親友如相問，一片冰心在玉壺。

Cold rain floods the river, entering Wu at night;

   At dawn I bid farewell to a wayfarer, the lonesome hills of Chu.

If family and friends in Luoyang ask of me – 

   My heart is as a piece of ice in a jade jar.

Changling stretched out his hand and marked on the wall, saying, “one quatrain!” In a short while, another singer sang,

開篋淚沾臆,見君前日書,

夜臺今寂寞,猶是子雲居。

I open the box, tears soak my breast,

   As I see your past letters.

The night terrace now in deep silence;

   Yet it still is home to Ziyun.

Gao Shi stretched out his hand and marked the wall, saying “one quatrain!” Then another singer sang

奉帚平明金殿開，且將團扇暫徘徊。
玉顔不及寒鴉色，猶帶昭陽日影來。

Broom in her hands at dawn, in the wide open golden hall,

   With a round fan she paces to and fro, passing time.

Jade complexion no match for the winter crow’s luster,

   Still carrying the sunlit splendor of Shaoyang Palace.

Changling again stretched out his hand and marked the wall, saying “two quatrains!”

As for Wang Zhihuan, who had been famous for some time now, he said to the others, “All of these people are incompetent musicians. All they sing are verses of the peasants; how can these common verses even come close to songs of refined taste?” Then he pointed to the most beautiful of the singing girls and said, “let us wait till she sings; if it is not my poem, then for the rest of my life I will never dare vie with you. But if it indeed is my poem, then you shall bow to me and revere me as master.” Then he laughed and waited for her to sing. In a short while it was her turn, and the double-coiffured girl sang forth:

黃河遠上白雲間，一片孤城萬仞山。
羌笛何須怨楊柳，春風不度玉門關。

Yellow sands rise far above among the white clouds,

A sliver of a lonesome fort on a mountain of ten thousand feet. 

 Why should the nomadic flute mourn the willow branches?

The spring wind never passes over the Yumen Gate.

Wang Zhihuan then teased the other two and said, “Oafs! Was I wrong?” then they roared with laughter. The musicians did not know what was going on, thus went over and asked, “What are you gentlemen laughing about?” Changling and the others told them the story, and all the musicians hurried to pay their respects, saying, “Our mortal eyes did not recognize the gods. We beg you to grace us with your presence and deign to join our party.” The three gentlemen went with them, and drank throughout the day.  

- Xue Yongruo 薛用弱, "Collection of the Strange" 

開元中，詩人王昌齡、高適、王之渙齊名。時風塵未偶，而遊處略同。一日，天寒微雪，三詩人共詣旗亭，贳酒小飲。忽有梨園伶官十數人，登樓會宴。三詩人因避席隈映，擁爐火觀焉。俄有妙妓四輩，尋續而至，奢華豔曳，都冶頗極。旋則奏樂，皆當時之名部也。昌齡等私相約曰: 我輩各擅詩名，每不自定其甲乙，今者可以密觀諸伶所讴，若詩人歌詞之多者，則爲優矣。

俄而一伶拊節而唱，乃曰

寒雨連江夜入吳，平明送客楚山孤。
洛陽親友如相問，一片冰心在玉壺。

昌齡則引手畫壁曰，一絕句。尋又一伶讴之曰 

開篋淚沾臆,見君前日書,

夜臺今寂寞,猶是子雲居。

適則引手畫壁曰， 一絕句。 尋又一伶讴曰

奉帚平明金殿開，且將團扇暫徘徊。
玉顔不及寒鴉色，猶帶昭陽日影來。

昌齡則又引手畫壁曰，二絕句。之渙自以得名已久，因謂諸人曰，此輩皆潦倒樂官，所唱皆巴人下裏之詞耳，豈陽春白雪之曲，俗物敢盡哉! 

因指諸妓之中最佳者曰， 待此子所唱，如非我詩，吾即終身不敢與子爭衡矣。脫是吾詩，子等當須列拜床下，奉吾爲師。 因歡笑而俟之。須臾，次至雙鬟發聲。則曰

黃河遠上白雲間，一片孤城萬仞山。
羌笛何須怨楊柳，春風不度玉門關。

之渙即揶揄二子曰，田舍奴，我豈枉哉! 因大諧笑。諸伶不喻其故，皆起詣曰，不知諸郎君何此歡噱？ 昌齡等因話其事。諸伶競拜曰，俗眼不識神仙，乞降清重，俯就筵席。 三子從之，飲醉竟日。