The seedlings are planted in Donggao, and they grow all over the streets.
Although I am tired of working with heavy loads, I am comfortable chatting with wine.
At dusk, the firewood trains are running, and the road is dark and the light is already dusk.
Returners watch the fireworks, and children wait for the crack in the eaves.
Ask you what to do, there will be service in a hundred years.
I hope the mulberry trees and hemp trees will grow and the silkworms will be able to spin in the moonlight.
Just like this, open the path to see the three benefits.
"The seedlings were planted in Donggao, and the seedlings grew all over the streets." These two narrative sentences seemed very casual. They were talking about the seedlings grown in Donggao and how they grew. But in his casual words, there was a sense of satisfaction. He seemed to be appreciating the fruits of his labor when he said this. "Although I'm tired of working with lotus and hoeing, I feel comfortable chatting with wine." In Tao's poems, there is "Returning with the moon and hoeing with lotus", and "Maojiu" and so on are common sentences. It seems that he doesn't feel much of a burden on the "hoe" and is almost used to it. "At dusk, the road is dark and the light has already faded." There is a sentence in "Returning to Lai Xi Ci" that says "Maybe I am wearing a chariot." These two sentences are written very naturally, "work when the sun rises, and rest when the sun sets." The life of a farmer is so natural. "Returning people watch the fireworks, and childish children wait for the eaves." There is a saying in "Returning Lai Xi Ci" that "childish children wait for the door." Waiting for him is such a warm "home", and at this time his tiredness will be eliminated invisibly. These four sentences about returning home at dusk are really vivid and picturesque, and the picture floats with a peaceful and intoxicating atmosphere. This was Tao Yuanming's day in "field living". This day was so fulfilling and comfortable.
"What can I do if I ask you? There will be battles in a hundred years." This is a question, asking and answering, just like the sentence pattern of Tao's poem "What can I ask you? My mind is far away and I am biased." This is similar to the meaning of Tao's poem "Life is in the right way, and food and clothing are in order. No one is working, but to seek peace of mind", which expresses the importance of labor. "I hope that the mulberry and hemp crops will grow, and the silkworms will be able to spin in the moon." The mulberry and hemp crops will flourish, and the silkworm business will go smoothly. This is his ideal of life, as Tao Shi wrote: "Farming and weaving are called their uses, is it necessary to live up to this?" He wrote: "Su Xin is like this. Open the path and hope for the three benefits." "Su Xin" is the wish mentioned above. The following paragraph uses questions to reveal Tao Yuanming's experience of labor and his intentions in living in the field, which is very consistent with Tao Yuanming's reality.
This poem is included in "Selected Works: Thirty Ancient Poems by Jiang Yan" and is regarded as the sixth poem in "Returning to the Garden and Living in the Fields". The great writer Su Shi of the Song Dynasty took this as a poem about Tao and praised it with the following four lines of "Ri Mu", and wrote "Six Poems with Tao Returning to the Garden and Living in the Fields". Later generations thought that this poem was not written by Tao Yuanming, but was a pseudo-Tao poem written by Jiang Yan.
Reference materials: 1. Liu Jicai. Translation and interpretation of Tao Yuanming's poems. Harbin: Heilongjiang People's Publishing House, 1986: 43-542, Cao Minggang. Selected poems and essays by Tao Yuanming, Bao Zhao and Xie Lingyun. Shanghai Ancient Books Publishing House: 2002, 24-283, Wu Xiaoru et al. A Dictionary of Poetry Appreciation of Han, Wei and Six Dynasties. Shanghai: Shanghai Dictionary Publishing House, 1993: 523-5324, Wu Xiaoru et al. A Dictionary of Poetry Appreciation of Han, Wei and Six Dynasties. Shanghai: Shanghai Dictionary Publishing House, 1992: 951-952