Reading on an autumn night is always marked by the end of two drums
Lu You
The rotten scholar sighs that nothing is surprising, but he only likes to make up the leftovers and not be deceived by me.
White hair ruthlessly invades the old world, and the green light smells like childhood.
Gao Wu Cece conveys the chill, and stacking drums in winter forces sleep.
The autumn nights are getting longer and hunger is causing trouble, and a cup of yam is filled with fine rice.
"Reading on an Autumn Night is always marked by the end of two drums" is a work by Lu You, a poet from the Song Dynasty. This poem was written in the autumn of the first year of Qiandao (1165) when he was 41 years old when he first took office as the general magistrate of Longxing (the seat of governance is now Nanchang, Jiangxi). Lu You's poetry style is unified but rich in diversity. This poem is his plain, smooth and profound work.
Interpretation:
Lu You has been eager to learn since he was a child, as evidenced by his poem "I have been reading since I was born, and my eyes are drying up thousands of volumes" ("Execution of Mockery"). In his collection of poems, poems written at night are still common after the age of eighty. For example, in "Studying" written when he was eighty-five, he wrote: "When I was young, I learned about Tang and Yu from my teachers and friends, and my white head and my mind were very comfortable. It used to be said that everyone should pay for the wine, but now I know that no one believes in my book." It is not difficult to find that Lu You's outstanding achievements in poetry creation are inseparable from his assiduous and studious spirit. The poem "Reading on an Autumn Night with Two Drums as a Festival" was written in the autumn of the first year of Qiandao (1165) when he first took office as the general magistrate of Longxing (the seat of governance is now Nanchang, Jiangxi). Lu You was forty-one years old at that time.
Lu You said that he wrote "ten thousand poems in sixty years", but the first couplet of the poem starts with "The rotten scholar sighs that nothing is surprising", which is very meaningful. Because he once had such a poem in "Send a Sword with Pine Patterns from Rongzhou", "It's a shame to be a corrupt scholar and grow up." Now that he can call himself a "corrupt Confucian", it seems to be contrary to his early ambitions. Considering Lu You's situation at that time, when he first took office as the general magistrate of Longxing, he was lonely and unhappy. He could only use reading to relieve the depression in his heart, so he came up with the idea of ??"I am only happy to make up my legacy, but I will not bully myself". Therefore, going back and appreciating "Duxi Yibian" still reflects his always positive outlook on the world. Because Lu You read to "help the world and save the people", as evidenced by his poem "The original intention of reading is Yuanyuan (referring to the people)".
The "white hair" in the couplet brings out the decadence of Lao Jing, but under the "green lantern", it has a different meaning. A philosopher once said, "Books are food for young people, and they make old people happy." Therefore, reading as a child was enjoyable. Lu You, who was born early, is now accompanied by Qing Deng, as if he has returned to his childhood, enjoying the joy of reading. This couplet is written for indoor night reading. It is clear and simple, concise and natural, friendly and interesting. They are the two most wonderful sentences in the whole poem.
The neck couplet depicts the autumn night outdoors. The sound of the autumn wind blowing down the leaves of the sycamore tree came from outside the window, and the sound of "Dongdong" sounded after the second watch, urging the poet to take a rest. The poet vividly reproduces the scene at that time, making people feel immersed in it.
The last couplet describes the scene of the poet eating before falling asleep. The poet who concentrated on reading felt a little hungry, so he cooked potato porridge made from yam and thought it was better than fine wine. Then a poet who was content with poverty, happy with teaching, and diligent in learning emerged.