"Gift to Cui Shilang (Part 1)"

Author: Li Bai of the Tang Dynasty

The three-foot carp in the Yellow River originally lived in Mengjin.

If you can’t become a dragon by tapping your forehead, you will be accompanied by ordinary fish when you return.

Translation:

The three-foot-long Yellow River carp usually lives in the Mengjinguan area. If you can't jump to the dragon gate, you will dye your forehead and return to the company of ordinary fish.

Li Bai's "Gift to Cui Shiyu" contains two poems, both of which express his enthusiasm for officials. This poem uses the carp in the Yellow River as a metaphor, implicitly expressing the depression of not having talent.

Extended information

The allusion of carp jumping over the dragon gate

It is said that a long time ago, there were many carps living in the sea. One day an old carp said that there is a dragon gate at the end of the sea. Legend has it that anyone who can surpass it can turn into a dragon. The leading little golden carp told everyone that I was going to find the dragon gate. After going through all kinds of hardships, I jumped over the dragon gate and turned into a dragon.

Led by the little red carp, more and more carp jumped over the dragon gate and became real dragons. But except for a few who jumped over and turned into dragons, most of them couldn't get through. Anyone who fails to jump and falls from the air will have a black scar on his forehead.