From Lu You's "Visit to Shanxi Village" in the Southern Song Dynasty
Mo Xiao's farmhouse is full of wax and wine, and in good years there are enough chickens and dolphins for visitors.
The mountains and rivers are full of doubts and there is no way out, and there is another village with dark willows and bright flowers.
The flutes and drums follow the spring society, and the clothes and clothes are simple and ancient.
From now on, if I am allowed to take advantage of the moonlight, I will knock on the door all the time and night with my stick.
Appreciation:
"Don't laugh at the farmer's wax wine, which is full of chicken and dolphin (tún) for tourists in good years." At first glance, it seems plain, just like "an old friend invited me to Tian's house." It seems to be an ordinary note, effortless. However, the poet starts the sentence here and writes that he suddenly came to the farmhouse while traveling in the village. The host warmly entertained the guests, exaggerating the joyful atmosphere of the farmhouse after the harvest, and paving the way for the following lyrical description of the trip. "Lajiu" refers to the rice wine brewed in the twelfth lunar month (the twelfth month of the lunar calendar). This is a gratifying scene after a good rice harvest. When you drink wax wine after the beginning of spring, it may look a little turbid, but it has the mellow taste of famous wine. What's more, the owner of the farmhouse is so hospitable to guests and prepares sumptuous delicacies! Dolphin refers to a piglet, and here "chicken-footed dolphin" refers to the extremely sumptuous dishes served by farmers.
"There is no way out despite the mountains and rivers, but there is another village with dark flowers and bright flowers." This is a well-known line. Its beauty lies not only in its ability to describe difficult scenes and its craftsmanship in contrasting words, but also in its ability to "turn ordinary words into strange words", making its words natural, philosophical and enjoyable to chew on. Incorporating this kind of natural scene into poetry has long been described by poets of the Tang Dynasty, such as Wang Wei's "Shimen Jingshe in Lantian Mountain": "I love the beautiful clouds and trees in the distance, but at first I doubt that the road is different; An Zhiqing changes, and suddenly "Connected to the front mountain." In the hands of poets of the Song Dynasty, they also described it, such as Wang Anshi's "On the River": "The green mountains are surrounded by no way, and suddenly thousands of sails are reflected." There is also Qiang Yanwen, a poet close to Lu You in his era. His poems have the style of the Tang Dynasty. He once wrote the poem "There is no doubt that there is no road in the distant mountains at first sight, but the winding path slowly leads to villages"①. But in terms of the development of artistic conception, it can be said that these poems are far inferior to Lu You. The first sentence of this couplet uses the word "suspicious" to vividly portray the feeling of being lost in Xuhang Mountain Village with overlapping mountains and lingering water. The beautiful spring scenery is vividly depicted. In this way, the sensory image and the visual image are organically combined to form a beautiful, moving and wonderful picture. "Poetry of the Tang and Song Dynasties" commented on these two sentences: "It is like a projectile being thrown out of the hand, and it is not only good at writing difficult scenes." This evaluation is insightful. Not only is this couplet written extremely naturally, but the language is simple and familiar, and the meaning is rich; it seems that it comes at your fingertips, but it is unexpected. Therefore, it has been widely loved by people for thousands of years, and now it has become a widely circulated idiom. When people recite these two poems, they not only appreciate the indescribable and wonderful natural scenery of the mountain village, but also understand the inspiration of the philosophical thoughts contained in it - as long as people face reality and face many difficulties and obstacles, they will not If you retreat, don’t be afraid, have the courage to explore, and move forward vigorously, then there will be a new realm full of light and hope ahead.
"The flute and drum follow the spring society, and the simple and ancient style of clothing remains." The poem shifts from description of scenery to lyricism, and from the scenery outside the village to the feelings inside the village. "Spring Society" is a custom in ancient my country. Chen Yuanliang's "Sui Shi Guang Ji" of the Southern Song Dynasty states that "the fifth day after the beginning of spring is the Spring Society". That is, the fifth Wu day of spring is Chun She Day. When this day comes, the village is filled with the sound of flutes and drums, filling the sky with a cheerful festive atmosphere. Villagers also offer sacrifices to the land god to pray for a good harvest. This simple ancient custom was still very popular in the rural areas of Jiangnan at that time. The poem not only reflects the farmers' desire for a good harvest, but also expresses the poet's sincere feelings for rural life.
"From now on, if I am allowed to take advantage of the moon, I will knock on doors all the time and night with my stick." This is the summary of the whole poem and the expression of the mood of wandering in the mountain village. How do you feel about visiting the village? The charming scenery of the mountain village and the simplicity and beauty of the village customs left a beautiful and unforgettable impression on the poet. What happens next? The poem ends with the feeling of frequent night excursions, with an endless aftertaste. If the end of Meng Haoran's poem: "On the Double Ninth Day, I will come back to see the chrysanthemums" is very straightforward, then the end of Lu You's poem is more tactful. The poet's intention is that if there is a chance to take advantage of the moonlit night in the future, If I go out for a leisurely stroll, I will come to knock on the door at any time with a cane and talk. This conclusion clarifies the theme of the poem "Village to the Village", and "knocking on the door at night" echoes the first sentence "farmhouse", which not only makes the picture complete, but also makes it more thought-provoking.
This poem describes the daily life in rural areas in the south of the Yangtze River. The subject matter is relatively ordinary, but the difference is that the idea is novel and the technique is drawn in outline, without using rhetoric, and it becomes interesting naturally. The poet closely adheres to the word "tour" in the title of the poem, but does not describe the process of visiting the village in detail. Instead, he cuts out fragments of the village tour and reflects it through the level of characterization in each couplet. The first part is about the poet traveling to the farmhouse, the second part is about the scenery outside the village, the second part is about the things in the village, and the last part is about frequent night excursions. Although the writings have different emphases, they are based on village tours and harmoniously integrate the beautiful natural scenery of mountain villages and simple villagers' customs into a complete picture, forming a beautiful artistic conception and a tranquil and meaningful style. This can be said to have inherited the "plain and thoughtful" characteristics of Meng Haoran's poetry and developed forward.