"Drinking the First Sunny and Later Rain on the Lake"
The clear sky is perfect when the water is shining, but the mountains are also strange when they are empty and covered with rain.
If you want to compare the West Lake to the West, it is always better to put on light makeup and heavy makeup.
This poem was written in 1073 AD, when the poet Su Shi was serving as the general magistrate of Hangzhou. There are two original songs, this is the second one.
"The water is beautiful when it is clear, and the mountains are strange when it is empty and rainy" describes the scenery of the West Lake on sunny days and rainy days: under the bright sunshine, the water of the West Lake is rippling, sparkling, and very beautiful; Under the curtain of rain, the mountains around the West Lake are confused and vague, which is very strange. It can be known from the title that the poet was having a banquet in the West Lake on this day. The sun was bright at first, but then it started to rain. In the eyes of poets who are good at appreciating natural beauty, the West Lake's sunny and rainy conditions are beautiful and wonderful. "The sunny days are good" and "the rain is also strange" are the poet's praise for the beautiful scenery of West Lake.
In the two sentences "If you want to compare the West Lake to the West, it is better to wear light makeup and heavy makeup." The poet uses wonderful and appropriate metaphors to describe the charm of the West Lake. Xizi, also known as Xi Shi, was a beautiful woman from the Yue Kingdom in the Spring and Autumn Period. She was originally a Huansha girl. She was later selected into the palace by King Gou Jian of Yue and dedicated to King Wu Fu Chai as his concubine. The reason why the poet compares Xi Shi to the West Lake is not only because they are in the same land, have the same word "西", and also have the feminine beauty of Na Na, but more importantly, they both have natural beauty. With the help of external objects, there is no need to rely on artificial modification, and beauty can be displayed at any time. No matter whether Xi Shi is heavily painted with pink and white or light on the eyebrows, she is always graceful; no matter whether it is sunny or rainy or the flowers are blooming in the morning and evening, the West Lake is incomparably beautiful and fascinating. This metaphor was recognized by later generations. From then on, "Xizi Lake" became another name for West Lake.
This poem is very general. It is not a description of a single scene or a momentary scene of the West Lake, but a comprehensive evaluation of the beauty of the West Lake. The spread of this poem adds luster to the scenery of West Lake.