The poem "You must remember the good times of the year, when the oranges are yellow and the oranges are green" comes from the poem "A Gift to Liu Jingwen" by Su Shi, a writer, calligrapher, painter and gourmet in the Northern Song Dynasty.
The literal translation of the poem is: Don’t think that the good times of the year are about to end. You must remember that the most beautiful scenery is in the orange and green season of early winter.
The extended meaning of the poem is: Although the youth has passed when people reach middle and old age (use the seasons of late autumn and early winter to describe people's middle and old age), it is also the golden stage of maturity and great achievements in life (use orange, yellow, green and orange as a metaphor for experience) Quite a lot, increased ability). I use this metaphor to encourage my friend Liu Jingwen to cherish this good time, be optimistic and work tirelessly, and never be depressed or belittle yourself.
Source: "To Liu Jingwen" - Su Shi
Original text The lotus has no rain cover, and the chrysanthemums are still covered with proud frost branches.
You must remember that the best times of the year are orange and green.
Translation 1
The lotus leaves have faded away, and the leaves and rhizomes, like an umbrella that protects the rain, are no longer as graceful as they were in summer; the chrysanthemums have also withered, but their proud The frost-covered chrysanthemum branches still look vibrant in the cold wind.
Don’t think that the good times of the year are over. You must remember that the most beautiful scenery is in early winter when the oranges and oranges are green!
Translation 2
The lotus has withered, and even the lotus leaves that hold up the rain have withered. Only the branches of the chrysanthemums that have failed are still proud of the cold and frost.
You have to remember the best scenery of the year, when oranges are golden and oranges are green.
Translation 3
The pond lotus that once had green leaves touching the sky and red flowers reflecting the sun has long since faded away, and its withered stems and leaves can no longer hold up a green umbrella. The wind and rain are blocked; only the independent and sparse chrysanthemums, although the leaves have withered, the tall branches still appear full of vitality in the cold wind.
Don’t think that the good times of the year are gone. You have to remember that the most beautiful scenery is in early winter when oranges turn yellow and oranges turn green!
Keyword Notes
Liu Jisun, courtesy name Jingwen. In the Northern Song Dynasty, both Zhejiang and Zhejiang were supervised by soldiers and horses. Su Shi called him a "generous and wonderful man".
Qing: Lift, lift up.
Rain cover: a metaphor for lotus leaves
Aoshuang: not afraid of frost, strong and unyielding.
The most: one is "righteous".
The most orange-yellow and orange-green time: refers to the time when oranges turn yellow and are still yellow and green, which refers to the end of autumn and the beginning of winter in the lunar calendar.
Creative background
This poem was written in the early winter of the fifth year of Yuanyou (1090). At that time, Su Shi was working in Hangzhou, and Liu Jisun, who was the military supervisor of Zhejiang and Zhejiang, was also there. The two had a close relationship and a deep deal. On the one hand, the poet regarded Liu Jingwen as a national scholar and recommended him with the "Liu Jisun Zhuang for Begging for Promotion"; on the other hand, he added this poem to encourage him. (Liu Jisun was already 58 years old when Su Shi presented this poem, so he inevitably felt twilight.)
Under the attack of the old and new parties, Su Shi even submitted a petition to Zhang Shu, requesting to be appointed as a local official. In Yuan Dynasty, In the fourth year of You (1089), he came to Hangzhou as a bachelor of Longtuge. Liu Jingwen was the successor of Liu Li, a famous general in the Northern Song Dynasty, but he was in ruins all his life, and even his life was precarious. Su Shi valued Liu's character very much and hit it off with the fifty-eight-year-old Liu Jingwen. He called him a "generous and wonderful man". They exchanged poems and wines and had a deep friendship with him. After Su Shi recommended him to the court, Liu Cai got a small promotion.
Literati in ancient times often exchanged poems for various purposes: to express friendship, to express ambition, to encourage and inspire, or to sing praises. This song "To Liu Jingwen" seems to describe the scene, but in fact every sentence fits Liu's life experience. It is intended to praise the other party's noble ambition and encourage the other party to cheer up.
Appreciation of Works
The first two lines of the poem describe the scene, and the scene contains the meaning. "Lotus" is often used as a metaphor for a gentleman. It is the end of the year and the lotus has withered leaves. It is used to describe a gentleman who is born at the wrong time and will inevitably lose his way. The chrysanthemum is often used to describe the late festival, and Jingwen has no shortcomings in his later years and is still proud of frost. Snow branches.
The last two sentences of the poem discuss the scenery and reveal the purpose of the poem. Generally speaking, when people reach their twilight years and have been frustrated throughout their lives, they will inevitably become depressed and depressed. However, for scholars, especially those with ideals and ambitions, it is not impossible to lose something and gain something new. Therefore, the poet used the two sentences "You must remember the good times of the year, the most orange and orange are the greenest times" to give instructions to his friends. He was very encouraging, sincere and touching.
The author writes from flowers to branches, and from branches and leaves to fruits, indicating that although the winter scenery is bleak and desolate, it also has a fruitful, mature and abundant side. The poet writes this to describe a person in his prime, or even in his later years. Although youth has passed, it is also the golden stage of maturity and great achievements in life. He encourages friends to cherish this good time, be optimistic and work tirelessly, and never be depressed or belittle oneself.
About the author
Su Shi (January 8, 1037 - August 24, 1101), also known as Zizhan, also known as "Dongpo Jushi" in the world. Han nationality, from Meizhou. He was a poet and lyricist of the Northern Song Dynasty and a litterateur of the Song Dynasty. He was one of the main representatives of the bold and unrestrained poets and one of the "Eight Great Masters of the Tang and Song Dynasties". Politically, it belongs to the old party, but it also has demands for reforming bad governance. His writing is unbridled, clear and fluent. His poems have a wide range of themes and are rich in content. There are more than 3,900 existing poems. Representative works include "Shui Tiao Ge Tou·Mid-Autumn Festival", "Red Cliff Ode", "Jiang Chengzi·Dreams on the Night of the Twentieth Day of the First Month of Yi Mao", "Night Tour of Chengtian Temple", etc.