The Tactical Octagon (with videos)

Du Fu visits a mysterious and magical ancient site

The Tactical Octagon

Du Fu

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Unrivalled through the kingdom split in three,

Your glory built this octagon array.

The rushing river will not move these stones,

They mourn forever Wu that slipped away.

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The Tactical Octagon records Du Fu’s (712-770) visit to a stone formation that was believed to have been set up by Zhuge Liang, the genius Chancellor of Shu, about 500 years earlier. The Han Empire had split into three rival kingdoms, of which Shu was the smallest. The stones were to help Zhuge's soldiers to learn their tactical formations, in preparation for an invasion of Wu that ultimately failed. They were erected on a floodplain, and it was said that some magic had prevented the river from washing them away in the intervening centuries.

Note the last two Chinese characters in the poem (bottom left): they both contain the 天 and 口 elements, but in reversed configurations: 吞吴. Du Fu is having fun here.

(A later myth grew up around these same stones: that they formed a magical labyrinth that would entrap invading armies, see the Stone Sentinel Maze. However, this myth was not current in Du Fu’s time.)

I made a couple of videos explaining this poem. They’re aimed at children, so apologies if they’re a bit slow and didactic!

Part 1:

Part 2:

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杜甫 八阵图

功盖三分过，名称八阵图。

江流石不转，遗恨失吞吴。

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