"You know, Yun Zhi was once world-class." From Wu's Thirty Little Elephants in Qing Dynasty.
The whole poem is as follows:
An elephant 30 meters long.
Wuqingdai in Qing dynasty
When eating meat, did you do it to the extreme? In 30 years, you wrote a sword, sea, sky and autumn.
Fortunately, the article didn't meet Huang Zu, so I was embarrassed by Ma Zhou today.
Naturally, it is difficult for you to use this world, so I am not suitable or established.
You know, Yun Zhi used to be world-class.
The whole poem is interpreted as follows:
Not all people in high positions are murderous. Why have you studied for 30 years without any achievements, just like sea and the sky in autumn? I'm glad I didn't meet Beowulf who killed the scholar like Huang Zu, but now I'm in the same predicament as Ma Zhou. I think I have a gift, but I don't seem to have a chance to show it. Is it really because I don't have Hou Feng's looks?
You know, when I was young, I was determined to be an excellent person and vowed to be the best person in the world.
Sentence annotation
Poets in Qing Dynasty like to write poems with allusions, so does this poem.
The first sentence of the first couplet uses the allusion of "tiger heads eat meat" The ancients thought that the appearance of tiger head represented wealth, but the poet expressed here that although he had the appearance of tiger head, he did not get the fate of wealth. "Book Sword" refers to study and career, while "autumn scenery in the sea and sky" depicts a bleak scene and expresses the sigh that nothing has been achieved in the past 30 years.
Zhuan Xu used two more allusions. Huang Zu mentioned in the previous sentence was the Jiangxia satrap during the Three Kingdoms period. At that time, people respected celebrities and generally did not kill famous scholars. However, Huang Zu killed the famous Mi Fei. Therefore, the poet means that he has never met such a rude warrior, and perhaps he compares himself to a celebrity.
The latter sentence is obviously a comparison with Ma Zhou appreciated by Li Shimin of Emperor Taizong, and there is a much-told story of "four invitations to Ma Zhou". Of course, Li Shimin sent someone to invite him. After Ma Zhou entered the DPRK, he rose step by step, and eventually became a secretariat official, a prince, and an acting minister of rites. However, he lived in poverty and depended on others in his early years.
"Necklace" directly expresses the poet's inner lament that his talent has not been discovered and the timing of his life is wrong. Destiny cannot be a mark of honor. Here's another story. Li Guang of the Han Dynasty fought many wars, but it was impossible to seal Hou. He said regretfully, "Why don't I do evil?" Can't I be a marquis because of my looks? The implication is that he has the ability to seal Hou, but he has not got the result of sealing Hou. This is an external factor, not his own.
As mentioned above, couplets remind people of their ambitions when they were young. The whole poem is a typical expression of the feelings of talented people, and it is an angry work after the author failed to make the list.
Make an appreciative comment
Poets in Qing Dynasty like to write poems with allusions, so does this poem.
The first sentence of the first couplet uses the allusion of "tiger heads eat meat" The ancients thought that the appearance of tiger head represented wealth, but the poet expressed here that although he had the appearance of tiger head, he did not get the fate of wealth. "Book Sword" refers to study and career, while "autumn scenery in the sea and sky" depicts a bleak scene and expresses the sigh that nothing has been achieved in the past 30 years.
Zhuan Xu used two more allusions. Huang Zu mentioned in the previous sentence was the Jiangxia satrap during the Three Kingdoms period. At that time, people respected celebrities and generally did not kill famous scholars. However, Huang Zu killed the famous Mi Fei. Therefore, the poet means that he has never met such a rude warrior, and perhaps he compares himself to a celebrity.
The latter sentence is obviously a comparison with Ma Zhou appreciated by Li Shimin of Emperor Taizong, and there is a much-told story of "four invitations to Ma Zhou". Of course, Li Shimin sent someone to invite him. After Ma Zhou entered the DPRK, he rose step by step, and eventually became a secretariat official, a prince, and an acting minister of rites. However, he lived in poverty and depended on others in his early years.
"Necklace" directly expresses the poet's inner lament that his talent has not been discovered and the timing of his life is wrong. Destiny cannot be a mark of honor. Here's another story. Li Guang of the Han Dynasty fought many wars, but it was impossible to seal Hou. He said regretfully, "Why don't I do evil?" Can't I be a marquis because of my looks? The implication is that he has the ability to seal Hou, but he has not got the result of sealing Hou. This is an external factor, not his own.
As mentioned above, couplets remind people of their ambitions when they were young. The whole poem is a typical expression of the feelings of talented people, and it is an angry work after the author failed to make the list.
Brief introduction of the author
Wu, Zi Zixiu, is from Qiantang. Guangxu Xu Bing was a scholar, changed to Jishi Shu, awarded editing, and served as an official in Hunan to promote learning. There is a Record of Bulusong.