The Tartar rebels brought disaster to the Tang court,
The ancestral shrine was already tilting, in peril.
The imperial carriage fled to the western land of Shu,
Who then could uphold the great vessel of state?
The crown prince rose at Lingwu,
And acted as exigency required.
Since the people's hopes had found their focus,
The treacherous villains were then purged and slain.
Cishan, with his deep care for the nation,
Hearing this, how great his joy must have been!
He returned praise to the sovereign father,
Concealing faults—a duty righteousness demands.
Old Fu, wielding righteous argument,
Sternly embedded criticism and admonition.
Pointing out the faults within the heart,
And touching even on the palace's hidden affairs.
Here he applied the Spring and Autumn's method,
What could Emperor Suzong say in reply?
Yet not a single phrase was spent
To trace blame back to the eldest son's wrongs.
Later generations of busybodies,
Often trade slanders and reproaches.
Some form factions of shared opinion,
Some toil over poems of self-mockery.
Those with discernment possess clear vision,
Their understanding—what doubt can there be?
Behold instead our Song dynasty,
And the "Mid-Restoration Stele" on the cliff.
Emperor Guangyao's feat of rebuilding,
Shines bright as sun and stars suspended.
Achieving merit, he embodied Heaven's way,
Retiring, his resolve never shifted.
The sacred vessel he personally handed over,
The succeeding emperor still earnestly declined.
Repeatedly, the charge was not accepted,
Only then, with effort, did he reverently receive it.
He disciplined himself, prepared with reverence and care,
From dawn to dusk, ever more diligent.
Have you not seen the splendor recorded in imperial canons,
Which truly springs from a foundation of yielding and deference?
Two sages embodied perfect kindness and filial duty,
Rivaling Yao and Shun in their gallop.
Look down upon the Li Tang,
Their virtue and deeds mixed with purity and flaw.
Only the wish for recovery remains,
Heaven often withholds its pivotal moment.
The duty of descendants to carry on the legacy,
Has never been as pressing as it is today.
Dispatch troops to console the remaining people,
Who would not welcome the royal army?
Lest those who read these praises,
Harbor indignation, grieving in vain.