Loyal Heart: Red heart, a metaphor for loyalty.
History: In ancient times, when writing on bamboo slips, the bamboo slices were first roasted with fire to prevent them from being eaten by insects. Because the water in the bamboo slips evaporates like sweat, the slips are called history, and they are also called finals. This refers specifically to historical records.
Source: "Crossing the Lingding Ocean"
Dynasty: Song Dynasty; Author: Wen Tianxiang
After a hard encounter, there are only a few stars around.
The mountains and rivers are broken, the wind flutters and the catkins float, and the life experience is ups and downs.
Afraid to say panic on the beach, sigh alone in the ocean.
Who has never died since ancient times? Keep your loyalty to reflect history.
Translation: The hard life experience began when he was studying and becoming an official. He fought hard with the Yuan army for four years with a weak force. The country of the Song Dynasty was fragmented, like catkins blown away by the wind. It rose and fell throughout its life, like duckweed beaten by rain in the water.
Last year I expressed my fear on the beach, but now I lament my loneliness on the lonely ocean. Since ancient times, who can never die and leave this sincere heart to illuminate the annals of history.
Extended information
Purpose:
This poem is full of sorrow and sadness. It laments the fate of the country and itself, exaggerating the hatred of the family and the country to the extreme, and the hardships and hardships. But in the last sentence, it goes from sad to strong, from melancholy to uplifting, and bursts out with the poem "Who has never died in life since ancient times, leaving a loyal heart to illuminate history". It is impassioned and resonant, showing the poet's ambition with majestic momentum and high tone. National integrity and the view of life and death of sacrificing life for righteousness.
Creative background:
This poem is found in Wen Tianxiang's "The Complete Works of Mr. Wenshan", which is dated to 1279 AD (the second year of Song Xiangxing). In 1278 AD (the first year of Xiangxing in the Song Dynasty), Wen Tianxiang was defeated and captured at Wupoling in the north of Haifeng, Guangdong. He was taken to a ship and wrote this poem when he crossed the Lingding Ocean the following year. Later, he was escorted to Yashan. Zhang Hongfan forced him to write a letter to recruit Zhang Shijie, Lu Xiufu and others who were sticking to Yashan to surrender. Wen Tianxiang refused and showed this poem to clarify his ambition.