Wang Han (poet)

This poem discusses the vicissitudes of war, contrasting the threat of death with the music of the pipa and drinking grape wine out of luminous cups (夜光杯) of a traditional regional sort.

Settlement of Liangzhou occurred thereafter, although this crucial transportation corridor was subsequently lost, only later to be regained by a newly reunified China - events remembered in Tang poetry, including by Wang Han.

The Hexi Corridor served to connect China proper with the Western Regions, which helped secure important parts of the Silk Road into Central Asia.

Beginning in the poetry of the Liang dynasty (梁朝), the cí were lyrics which developed from anonymous popular songs into a sophisticated literary genre, and at times having influences from Central Asia.

In this case, however, Wang Han seems to have used the term cí to refer to a poetic form of regular syllable line lengths, but with a suggestion of Central Asia, at least in the topic area.