In the Qi family, I often see your performances; Before urging the wine hall, I praised your art many times.
Never thought, in this Jiangnan scenic area; It is the season of falling flowers, and I can meet you, an old acquaintance.
The meaning of this poem is: I often see your performance in the Qi Palace; I have also enjoyed your performance in front of Cui many times. Unexpectedly, there is a big Jiangnan in this landscape; When the flowers fall, I can meet you again and get to know each other.
Poetic background: This poem was probably written in 770 AD (five years in Dali) when Du Fu was in Changsha. After the Anshi Rebellion, Du Fu drifted to the south of the Yangtze River, reunited with the exiled court singer Li Guinian, recalled his frequent meetings and listening to songs in Wang Qi and Cui Jiufu, and wrote this poem with emotion. It contrasts the desolation of the old man with the beautiful scenery, and expresses the poet's desolation about the prosperity and decline of the Tang Dynasty and his feeling of wandering between Li Guinian.
Poetry appreciation
Wang Qi is the younger brother of Li Longji, Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty. He knows poetry and music, and is a special lover. According to historical records, when I visited Qi, I heard musicians playing music, and I committed occupational diseases. He repeatedly said the name and playing method of the tune, which was greatly appreciated by the sovereign, and he also sent a gift, but Lao Li picked up a pipa without looking. Wang Ye praised it again, a red envelope. How high-spirited that is.
Cui Jiu was Laojiu of Cui Shi family in Tang Dynasty, and Xuanzong was a close friend of Tang Dynasty before he ascended the throne. Li Longji was sent to Shaanxi once, and only Cui Jiuyi was sent to Shaanxi again. Tang Xuanzong treated him like a brother.
Wang Qi and Cui Jiu are highly respected, literature-loving, and virtuous corporal, which shows the enlightened atmosphere in the prosperous Tang Dynasty. A splendid world is full of talents. Ordinary sight and a few degrees of sense of smell show that only Tao was ordinary at that time, and everyone thought that the prosperous times would continue. Who ever thought! An Shi's rebellion, changes of the times. The poet and Li Guinian are just witnesses of that prosperous time, and things will be different when we meet again.
Never thought, in this Jiangnan scenic area; It is the season of falling flowers, and I can meet you, an old acquaintance. The two returned to reality from their memories. It has been more than 30 years since they met in Kaiyuan, and eight years have passed since the Anshi Rebellion. The country is torn apart and devastated. The two men drifted around, and Du Fu was trapped by life and frustrated politically. Li Guinian sings everywhere for a living.
The beautiful scenery in the south of the Yangtze River reflects their poverty and sorrow. The falling of flowers in bloom means that the prosperity of Kaiyuan is gone forever. A "you" said that more than 30 years later, Wang Qi and Cui Jiu were both dead, and there was no confidant in the world. Youth is gone and dreams are shattered. What can two people say face to face? How much sadness and helplessness a person can bear, now these feelings are multiplied by two at once. Hey! Is it "sadness"?
Therefore, this poem describes the rise and fall of the Tang Dynasty, the frustration and sadness of life, and is Du Fu's masterpiece.