SONGS OF
EVERLASTING SORROW
BRIEF SUMMARY
In
the poem, a Han Dynasty emperor falls in love with a beautiful young girl who
has never had an experience in the outside world. The emperor chooses her as a
concubine and is so enamored with her that he forgets about his obligations. The
two lovers spend every moment they can together until war breaks out and the
emperor is called upon to lead his forces into battle. He can't bear the
thought of leaving her alone, so he drags her along with him to the battle. The
men see that the emperor is preoccupied, and they know that unless he comes to
his senses, they will be defeated and murdered. They demand the lady's death,
and the emperor has no choice but to comply.
The
emperor regains his focus after her death and leads his troops to victory. He
returns to his palace, where he remembers and misses all of his good days with
his girlfriend. The emperor has a Taoist priest contact the world of the dead
so that he might talk to his lover once again. She, on the other hand, has
progressed and is no longer concerned with earthly desires. The lady's soul
requests that the messenger deliver these gifts to his emperor and inform him
that she still loves him. She also sends him a message that if they belong
together, they can meet again someday soon. Lastly, the poem ends with a line
that goes, "Earth fades, Heaven fades, at the end of days. But Everlasting
Sorrow endures always."
REFLECTION AND LESSONS LEARNED
The story was tragic to the lover since it was about
sacrificing love. Here, we can reflect that true love is all about giving what
is best for your loved ones. There are moments that you need to let them go if
that is the only solution to solve an issue. Practicing the art of letting go
is not easy, it will test a person’s way of weighing priorities for the general
welfare.
In
love, sacrificing is always apparent. We need to learn when to put our armor
down or when to give way. This does not mean that we do not love them; however,
this means that we are sacrificing because we love them that much. For the
Emperor’s situation, his people need him and many of them depend on him. It
was hard on his part, but he agreed to let things go that way. He lost his
lover because of his kindness and love for his people. Maybe he thought that it
is better to lose one than to lose many. Despite the fact that he gave away the
life of his lover, he never misses a day to think of her. He was so desperate
to be united with her and luckily, his lover understood why such a decision
happened. Therefore, we can reflect that genuine love encompasses all fears
and sacrifices because at the end of the day, what is meant for you will always
go back to you.
Here are the lessons we can grasp in the story:
- Loving can hurt us sometimes.
- Sacrificing for the general welfare is not bad.
- What is meant for you will always be with you.
- Death cannot separate two hearts who beat as one.
- Know your priorities.
- Balance your time and responsibilities.
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