The Temple Of Zhuge Liang

Zhu-ge's great name
hangs over the whole world;
the revered statesman's portrait
awes with its sublimity.

The empire carved into thirds
hindered his designs,
yet he soars through the ages,
a lone feather in the sky.

He is brother to such greats
as Yi Yin and Lu Shang;*if he had established control,
Xiao and Cao would be forgotten.

But the cycle had passed;

Han fortunes
could not be restored.

His military strategy a failure,
his hopes dashed, his body perished.