The poem "Old Summer Palace was robbed twice by Kunming and turned into a crane for thousands of years, but it could not bear to return and a sad song could not be played" describes the two disasters that the Old Summer Palace suffered in history. The looting and destruction made it so It became a scene of ruins. The author of this poem may be Li Dazhao. When he faced the dilapidated scene of the Old Summer Palace, he felt deeply about the society and situation at that time.
In this poem, "Old Summer Palace was twice robbed and destroyed by Western invaders" in history. "Kunming Tribulation" is a Buddhist term. Later it led to a great war. This refers to the scene in which Britain and France robbed and destroyed the Old Summer Palace in the 19th century, turning it into ruins.
The phrase "the crane has been transformed for thousands of years but cannot bear to return" refers to the long history of the Old Summer Palace. After thousands of vicissitudes, it has now become dilapidated and unbearable to see. Crane is a Buddhist term, which refers to the death of a person. In this poem, it should refer to the ancestors.
"One piece of sad music cannot be played all the time" means that even sad music cannot fully express the endless sadness and sadness. Hujia is an ancient Chinese musical instrument often used to play sad tunes. The sad tune of Hujia is used here to describe the dilapidation of the Old Summer Palace and the vicissitudes of history.
In general, this poem expresses the author's emotion and sadness about the history of the Old Summer Palace and the disaster it suffered. It also expresses his deep worries and thoughts about the society and situation at that time.