⬅️ 唐诗 Tang Poems
Du ShenYan (杜审言, 648-708 AD) was a poet in early Tang dynasty and the grandfather of the famous Poet Du Fu (杜甫，712-770 AD). Du ShenYan was best known for his talent for writing the five-character eight-line regulated verses. Talented yet extremely self-conceited, his arrogance made him often look down upon his contemporaries. There were stories about how boastful he was. He once graded papers for the officials examination. When he got out, he said to others "Assistant Minister Su WeiDao (苏味道) would die." Other people were shocked by his words and asked how would Su die. Du ShenYan said:"When he read my marks on the paper, he would die of shame about himself." When he was seriously ill, some other famous poets came to visit him. He said to them:"What can I say? I have been tortured by my fate. But if I do not die, you guys do not have the chance to see the day light."
However his arrogance also brought him fatal disaster. In 698 AD, he was framed and sentenced to death. To take revenge for his father, Du ShenYan's 16 years old son assassinated the official who was responsible on a banquet. Before the official died, he said:"I did not know Du ShenYan has such a filial son. I was misled." This incident shocked the empire. Eventually Du ShenYao was pardoned by the empress. But he lost his son. The boy was killed at scene by guards.