Meaning: Destiny encounters are often different, and the mystery of the cause and effect cycle is difficult to find.
Original text:
There are red oranges in the south of the Yangtze River, which are still green in the winter. How could it be that the weather in Yi is warm, but the heart is cold all year round? I can recommend Jiake, but there are many obstacles. Destiny can only be met, the cycle cannot be found. It's just a peach and plum tree. How can this tree have no shade?
Translation:
Jiangnan Danjue has luxuriant leaves and branches, and it remains green all year round despite winter. Not only does the southern land have a warm climate, but it also has the character of pines and cypresses. Recommended guests will be praised, how can you contribute despite the obstacles? Destiny encounters often vary, and the mystery of the cause-and-effect cycle is difficult to find. Just saying that peaches and plums have fruits and trees, doesn’t it mean that oranges and oranges are not yin?
Source: "Complete Poems of the Tang Dynasty" - Zhang Jiuling of the Tang Dynasty
Extended information
Creative background
Twenty-five years after the founding of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty (737), Zhang Jiuling was demoted from the Prime Minister of the Book of History to the Governor of Jing. In his later years, he was ruined by greed and demoted for his loyalty. "Every time I read Han Fei's "Gu Ang", I burst into tears" (Xu Hao's "Zhang Gong Shen Dao Monument"), so he wrote "Twelve Poems on Encounters". This group of poems expresses the author's feelings about his life experience and his ideal ethics. It is a representative work of his five-character ancient poems.
Zhang Jiuling is a famous politician, writer, poet, and prime minister with courage and vision. He was loyal and conscientious, impartial, outspoken and dared to admonish, selected talents, did not bend the law for personal gain, did not follow the crowd, dared to fight against evil forces, and made positive contributions to the "Kaiyuan Rule".
His five-character ancient poems have a light style, simple and plain language, and convey far-reaching hopes for life. They made a great contribution to eradicating the Six Dynasties poetic style followed in the early Tang Dynasty. There is "Qujiang Collection". Known as "the first person in Lingnan".
Baidu Encyclopedia - Encountering Qi Qi