The blue birds in the river are more than white, and the blue flowers in the mountains are about to burn.
From "Two Quatrains" written by Du Fu in the Tang Dynasty
Chi Rijiang and mountains are beautiful, and the spring breeze is fragrant with flowers and grass.
Swallows fly when the mud melts, and mandarin ducks sleep in the warm sand.
The blue birds in the river are more than white, and the blue flowers in the mountains are about to burn.
This spring has come and gone, and when will it be the return year?
Translation
The mountains and rivers bathed in the spring light look particularly beautiful, and the spring breeze brings the fragrance of flowers and plants.
The soil melts and becomes soft with the arrival of spring. Swallows build nests in the mud, and pairs of mandarin ducks sleep on the warm sand.
The green river water makes the feathers of the birds whiter, the mountains are green, and the red wild flowers seem to be burning.
This spring is about to pass. When is the date of my return home?
Notes
Chiri: Spring day.
Muirong: This refers to the soil being moist and moist.
Mandarin duck: a kind of water bird. Male and female birds often appear together.
Bird: refers to the river gull.
The flowers are about to burn: the flowers are as red as fire.
Appreciation
First one
Tao Yukai, a poetry critic in the Qing Dynasty, pointed out in his book "Shuo Du" that there are many "original poems" in Du's collection. "Poetry as Painting" works. This five-character quatrain, written in a thatched cottage in Chengdu, is a masterpiece that is extremely poetic and picturesque. At the beginning of the poem, the poem focuses on the big picture, depicting the bright and gorgeous spring scenery in the Huanhua River area under the bright sunshine in early spring. The writing is simple and the colors are rich. "Chiri" refers to the spring day, which comes from the "Book of Songs·Binfeng·July" "Spring day is late". This is used to highlight the sunshine of early spring and to unify the whole article. At the same time, the word "Li" is used to embellish "Jiangshan", which expresses the beautiful scenery of spring sunshine, green fields and streams reflecting the sun. Although this is a rough outline, the bottom of the brush is full of spring.
In the second sentence, the poet further uses the warm spring breeze, the first blooming flowers, the green grass, and the rich fragrance to show the bright spring scenery. Because the poet organically organizes the spring breeze, flowers and plants and the fragrance they emit, through association, you can feel the gentle breeze, flowers blooming, and the fragrance of flowers sent by the wind, and receive an immersive artistic effect. On top of the bright and far-reaching pictures, the third and fourth sentences turn to specific and vivid descriptions of early spring scenery.
In the third sentence, the poet chooses the most common and characteristic dynamic scenery in early spring to outline. Spring is warm and flowers are blooming, the mud is melting and the soil is moist. Swallows, which are returning from autumn to spring, are busy flying around, carrying mud in their mouths and building nests. This vivid description makes the picture more vibrant, full of spring, and has a dynamic beauty. Du Fu's observation of swallows is very detailed. "The mud melts" closely follows the first sentence. It is because the spring returns to the earth and the sun shines that "the mud melts"; the purple swallow newly returns, makes a nest of mud and keeps flying, showing a sense of spring. Noisy situation.
The fourth sentence outlines a static scene. The spring is melting, the sun is shining and the sand is warm. The mandarin ducks also want to enjoy the warmth of spring and sleep peacefully on the sandbank by the stream. This also closely echoes the first sentence, because the sand is warm only "in the late day", and the warm sand attracts pairs of mandarin ducks to come out of the water and bathe in the bright sunshine, so leisurely and comfortable. Judging from the description of the scenery, in contrast to the dynamic flying swallows in the third sentence, the alternation of movement and stillness makes each other interesting. These two sentences describe the flying swallows and sleeping mandarin ducks in fine brushwork. They are combined with the broad and bright scenery in the first and second sentences to make the whole picture harmonious and unified, forming a picture with bright colors, flourishing business and aesthetic feeling. early spring scenery picture. As far as the thoughts and feelings contained in the poem are concerned, it reflects the poet's comfortable mood of temporarily settling in the thatched cottage after "one year old and four lines of labor" and "three years of hunger and wandering on the barren mountain roads". It is also the poet's view of the natural world in early spring. An expression of vitality and thriving joy.
This five-character quatrain has a bright and distant artistic conception and a fresh style. The contrasts in the whole poem are neat, but natural and smooth, without any refinement; the scenery is described with clear and delicate details, without any trace, which is Du Ji's unique style.
Second
This is a lyrical poem written by Du Fu when he lived in Sichuan. The poet painted a brightly colored picture of spring for us, and also expressed the heavy heart of the poet. homesickness.
The first two sentences describe the scenery, and the first sentence describes the river and water birds. The green water of the river makes the bird's feathers whiter, and the word "yu" uses the contrast to reveal its color. The second sentence describes mountains and flowers. The word "desire" is used as a foil to highlight its posture. The four physical objects of "river", "bird", "mountain" and "flower" are painted with a layer of green, verdant and crystal clear. White and crimson oil paint. The scenery is fresh, refreshing and dynamic.
The last two sentences change the meaning of writing to express feelings. The third sentence writes that although the spring scenery is good, it has flown by in a hurry, and the scenery is emotional. And he focused on the fourth sentence "When is the return year?" People who return in spring have not yet returned, and the deep sadness and wisps of sorrow pour out from the depths of the soul. The words are exhausted but the meaning is endless, making people think about it endlessly.
The artistic achievement of this poem is first of all the blending of scenes. Among them, the first and second sentences describe the scenery, and the third and fourth sentences are lyrical. They use the scenery to express emotions, which are deep and meaningful. The second is to express hometown nostalgia by describing the scene. In the warm colors of spring, I could have been happy with things, but it revealed the poet's nostalgia. The words are euphemistic and profound, with unique style.
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Reference materials: Perfect
1. Ma Wei. Appreciation of the Essence of Chinese Classical Poetry Masters Du Fu: The Commercial Press International Co., Ltd., 2014: 162-164
2. Xiao Difei. Dictionary of Appreciation of Tang Poetry: Shanghai Dictionary Publishing House, 1983: 533-534
3. Fu Demin. Appreciation of famous Tang poetry: Bashu Publishing House, 2012: 183-185