The poem "The dead are gone, but the living are like this" comes from "Shi Hao Li", one of the "Three Officials and Three Farewells" by the poet Du Fu of the Tang Dynasty. The original text is "The survivors live in secret, the dead live forever." It’s over.”
It means: The dead have left us, the living must live strong and well, so that the dead can rest in peace in heaven.
The full text of "Shihao Officials" is:
Shihao Officials
Tang Dynasty: Du Fu
In Shihao Village at dusk, there were officials Catching people at night. The old man walked over the wall, and the old woman went out to see.
Why are the officials angry when they cry, and the women are miserable when they cry. After listening to the woman's speech, the three men garrisoned Yecheng.
One man sent a letter, and the other two men died in battle. The survivors live in vain, but the dead have long since passed away.
There is no one in the room except for the grandson. My granddaughter is still here, so she goes in and out without undressing.
Although the old woman's strength is declining, please return from the official position at night. In case of emergency in Heyang, you still have to prepare morning meals.
The sound of words fell silent for a long time, like hearing weeping and swallowing. At dawn, I will go to the future and say goodbye to the old man alone.
Appreciation of "Shihao Official":
"Shihao Official" is an outstanding realistic narrative poem. It tells the story of officials who went to Shihao Village at night to catch people for recruitment. The story of even an old and frail old woman being captured to serve reveals the cruelty of officials and the darkness of the military service system, and expresses deep sympathy for the suffering of the people during the Anshi Rebellion. In terms of art, refinement is a major feature of this poem. Lyrics and discussion are integrated into the narrative, and love and hate are clearly defined. The scenes and details are described naturally and realistically. Good at cutting and prominent center.
The creative background of "Shi Hao Li":
In 758 AD, in order to quell the rebellion of An (Anlushan) Shi (Shi Siming), Guo Ziyi, Li Guangbi and other nine military envoys , led 200,000 troops to besiege Yejun (now Anyang, Henan) occupied by An Qingxu (son of An Lushan), and victory was in sight. But in the spring of the next year, due to the reinforcements sent by Shi Siming and the internal conflicts of the Tang army, the situation reversed. Under the enemy's attack from both sides, the Tang army collapsed. Guo Ziyi and others retreated to Heyang (now Mengzhou City, Henan Province) and recruited soldiers from all over to replenish their troops. Du Fu happened to be returning to Huazhou from Luoyang at this time, passing through Xin'an, Shihao, Tongguan and other places. Based on the reality he witnessed, he wrote a series of poems, one of which was "Shihao Official".
Extended information
Translation of "Shihao Official":
At dusk, I stayed in Shihao Village. At night, a policeman came to force him to recruit soldiers. The old man escaped over the wall, and the old woman went out to deal with it.
The guard shouted so fiercely, and the old woman cried so sadly. I heard the old woman step forward and say: "My three sons went to participate in the Battle of Yecheng. One of the sons came back with a message saying that the other two sons had just died in the battle. The living people just live one day at a time, and the dead people He will never be resurrected!
Old woman, there is no one else in my family, only a little grandson who is nursing. Because his mother has not left yet, he is here. Even though the old woman is old and weak, please allow me to follow you back to the camp overnight to apply for the army. Breakfast."
As the night progressed, the voices gradually disappeared, and faint intermittent crying could be heard. After daybreak, I continued on my way and could only say goodbye to the old man who was returning home.