The meaning of "Who says that there is no more time in life, and the water flowing in front of the door can still reach the west" - Who says that life can never go back to youth? The stream in front of the door can still flow to the west!
Source of the work
"Who knows that there will be no more time in life, the water flowing in front of the door can still reach the west" comes from "Huanxisha·Visiting Qishui Qingquan Temple", which is a poem by Su Shi, a writer in the Song Dynasty .
This word describes the early spring in the rain in the south, expressing the author's spirit of staying strong and self-improvement despite the difficulties, and is filled with an upward attitude towards life. The upper column describes the elegant scenery and environment of Lanxi in late spring in March. The scenery is naturally bright, elegant and beautiful; the lower column expresses exciting discussions, using metaphors from the scene to express feelings about life and enlighten people's minds. The whole poem is expressive of the scene, and the scene is described purely in white, delicate and elegant; the expression is high-spirited and full of philosophy.
Original text of the work
Huanxisha·Visit to Qishui Qingquan Temple
[Song Dynasty] Su Shi
Visit to Qishui Qingquan Temple, the temple is adjacent to Lanxi River , the stream flows westward.
At the foot of the mountain, the orchid buds are soaked in the stream, the sandy road among the pines is clean and mudless, and the rain is whispering at dusk.
Who said there is no less in life? The water flowing in front of the door can still flow to the west! Stop singing yellow chicken with white hair.
Notes on the words and sentences of the work
⑴Huanxisha: the name of the word brand.
⑵Qishui (qí) water: the name of the county, today’s Xishui County, Hubei Province. Qingquan Temple: The name of the temple is located outside Qishui County.
⑶Short soaking stream: refers to the nascent orchid buds soaked in the stream water.
⑷Xiaoxiao: describes the sound of rain. Zigui: The cuckoo bird is said to be the soul of the ancient Shu emperor Du Yu, also known as "Du Yu".
⑸No more less: You can’t go back to your boyhood.
⑹White hair: old age.
⑺Singing Yellow Chicken: Lamenting the passage of time, life cannot last forever.
Translation of the work
The orchid grass by the stream at the foot of the mountain has just sprouted and soaked in the stream. The gravel path among the pines has been washed away by the spring rain and is clean and free of mud. It was dusk, and the cuckoos in the pine forest were singing in the drizzle.
Who says that when we grow old we will never go back to our youth? Look, the water in front of the door can still flow to the west! So, don’t lament the passage of time in old age.
Creative background
This poem was written by the author when he visited Qingquan Temple in Qishui in the spring of 1082 AD (the fifth year of Yuanfeng Emperor Shenzong of the Song Dynasty). At that time, Su Shi was famous for his "Wutai Poetry" "case", he was demoted to the deputy envoy of Tuanlian in Huangzhou (now Huanggang, Hubei). Qishui, the name of the county, is now Xishui County, Hubei Province, not far from Huangzhou. Volume 1 of "Dongpo Zhilin" says: "Thirty miles southeast of Huangzhou is Shahu Lake, which is also Riluoshidian. While I was buying a field, I fell ill because I went to Xiangtian. I heard that Pang An, a man from Maqiao, was a good doctor and became deaf. He went to seek treatment... After recovering from his illness, he went to Qingquan Temple with him. The temple was located outside Qishuiguo Gate. There was Wang Yishao's Brush Spring, which was very sweet. It was next to Lanxi, and the water flowed westward. "The song referred to here is this word.
Appreciation of Works
Su Dongpo was an open-minded man and was good at adapting to circumstances. He was imprisoned by Luo Zhi because of the so-called "satire on the imperial court" in his poems. After the "Wutai Poetry Case", he was demoted to Huangzhou in February of 1080 AD (the third year of Yuanfeng). Although I recited uneasy verses like "The true flavor of drinking becomes stronger with age, and raving while drunk is terrifying" ("Residence in Dinghuiyuan Occasionally Comes Out on a Moonlit Night"), but after settling down in life, the help of the woodcutter Ye Lao , the concern of relatives and friends, the courtesy of state and county chiefs, and the attraction of mountains and rivers, prompted him to put aside the haze in front of him and open up his heart. This optimistic song of life calling for youth must have been sung in this mood.
The last three sentences describe the elegant scenery and environment of Qingquan Temple. The stream is gurgling at the foot of the mountain, and the orchid grass on the bank has just sprouted delicate buds. The sandy road among the pine forests seems to have been washed by a clear spring, spotless and extremely clean. It was drizzling in the evening, and the cuckoo's call came from outside the temple. This painterly scene washes away the filth of officialdom and eliminates the hustle and bustle of the city. It is beautiful, clean, and unrestrained... full of poetic interest and the vitality of spring. It refreshes the ears and eyes, refreshes the heart and mind, and induces the poet's feelings of loving nature and persevering in life.
The environment inspires and inspires. So the poet made an exciting discussion in the lower palace. This kind of discussion is not abstract or conceptual, but uses metaphors from the scene to describe philosophies about life in emotive language. The two words "Who knows" are evoked by rhetorical questions: they are answered by metonymy. "Life grows and hates the water that flows eastward." Time is like water that never stops day and night, rushing eastward in a hurry and never coming back. Youth only comes to people once. As the ancients said: "Flowers will bloom again, and people will never see them again." "Short time." This is an irresistible law of nature. However, in a sense, people cannot grow stronger as they grow older, and the spirit of constant self-improvement can often glow with the brilliance of youth. Therefore, the poet made an exciting discussion: "Who knows that there will be no less in life? The water in front of the door can still flow to the west!"
People often use "white hair" and "yellow chicken" to describe the rush of things in the world and the rush of the situation. Years ago, a sad and mournful moan came out. Bai Juyi once sang in "Drunk Song": "Who knows how to make you understand the song? Listen to the singing of the yellow rooster and the white sun. The yellow rooster crows to remind the dawn, and the day to remind the new year to disappear. The red ribbon around the waist is not stable, The beauty in the mirror is gone." Su Shi also used Lotte poetry to recite the line "Try to call out the autumn people spontaneously, and make them sing the song of yellow chicken to wake up the dawn."
Here the author uses it contrary to his intention, hoping that people will not sigh about hurting themselves and aging. "Who said there will be no more in life?" "Don't sing yellow chickens with gray hair!" This has the same meaning as "Don't sing yellow chickens with gray hair" in another song "Huanxisha". It should be said that this is a declaration of resistance to aging, a yearning and pursuit of life and the future, and a call for youthful vitality. In his relegated life, he was able to turn away from the low tone of regretting his old age and sing such inspiring songs for self-improvement. This reflects Su Shi's persistence in life and broad-minded and optimistic character.
About the author
Su Shi (1037-1101), a writer in the Song Dynasty. His courtesy name is Zizhan, his nickname is Hezhong, and his nickname is Dongpo Jushi. A native of Meishan, Meizhou (now part of Sichuan). Su Xun’s eldest son. In 1057 AD (the second year of Jiayou), he became a Jinshi. Excluded were Zhongshusheren, Hanlin bachelor, Duanmingdian bachelor, and Minister of Rites. He once judged Hangzhou and knew Mizhou, Xuzhou, Huzhou, Yingzhou, etc. In 1080 AD (the third year of Yuanfeng), he was demoted to Huangzhou for slandering the new law. Later he was demoted to Huizhou and Danzhou. Emperor Huizong of Song Dynasty established and pardoned him. Died in Changzhou. Posthumous title Wenzhong. Erudite and talented, good at writing, good at poetry, calligraphy and painting. Yu Ci is "bold and unrestrained, and doesn't like to cut it to suit the rhythm". It has rich themes and broad artistic conception, breaking through the traditional barriers of "ci poetry is Yanke" since the late Tang, Five Dynasties and early Song Dynasty. Using poetry as lyrics, it created a bold and open school, which has a great influence on poetry. It had a huge impact on later generations. There are "Seven Collections of Dongpo", "Dongpo Ci", etc.