Text/Yuan Fei
In late autumn, the autumn wind rises and the autumn rain gradually cools down. The fallen leaves are full of sadness, either yellow or withered, bidding farewell to the branches one after another, and fluttering to the ground. People seem to sympathize with the plight of the fallen leaves. Even if the sidewalks are crowded, they try to avoid them and are reluctant to step on them. When I had to clean them, I gently and slowly gathered them under the roots of the trees and returned them to the earth.
Falling leaves represent many meanings. One leaf knows autumn. People put many emotions about autumn into one leaf, which can be said to be a heavy burden to bear. The fallen leaves are all over the empty mountains, describing the desolation of late autumn. The autumn wind sweeps the fallen leaves, describing the change of seasons and the cruelty of nature. Falling leaves returning to their roots expresses the wanderer's desire to return to his homeland.
"In early autumn, the fallen leaves are startling, and they are floating like the hearts of guests. They are flying around but are not willing to come down, but they still cherish the old forest." Spring mud protects flowers", "Falled leaves never change, and broken leaves never come back." From ancient times to the present, there are countless poems about fallen leaves.
Why is a small fallen leaf so deeply loved by people? In fact, we have to start with the Chinese people’s feelings of sadness for Spring and Autumn. Shangchun refers to an ancient woman who, in spring, saw red peach trees, green willows, orioles flying and grass growing, and was moved to Huaichun. Sad Autumn mostly refers to men, because ancient China was a male-dominated society. Men traveled around the world, thinking about their hometown or lovers, and were emotionally moved by the scene, giving birth to countless emotions of separation and separation.
"The jianjia is green, and the white dew is frost. The so-called beauty is on the side of the water." This song from the "Book of Songs" has been sung from ancient to modern times. Although it expresses the love between men and women, it cleverly blends the unique autumn scenery and emotions of late autumn. It uses the scenery of late autumn to highlight the desolation and melancholy in the poet's heart, opening up the tragic autumn feelings of ancient literati.
Autumn includes early autumn, mid-autumn, late autumn and late autumn. There are autumn winds, autumn rains, autumn harvests, autumn colors, autumn frosts, and autumn dews. There are residual lotuses, withered grass, withered flowers and fallen leaves. They all imply the meaning of prosperity, decline and farewell. The ancients "moved the flowers into tears when feeling the time, and hated the other birds." Since ancient times, people have borrowed objects to express their feelings, and they express their good intentions by entrusting them with objects. People place their emotions on autumn, such as separation, loneliness, sorrow, and lovesickness. Autumn has also become a scene with a long history of Chinese ancient poetry and culture, showing the charm of Chinese civilization.
The reason why autumn occupies a unique position in people's hearts is also related to the many wars and separations in Chinese history. "Autumn battles on the battlefield" means that many wars in ancient times took place in autumn. For example, the ancient grassland peoples invaded the Central Plains several times and chose this season to do so. Because in autumn, the grassland is green and yellow, and there is little rain after autumn, and the autumn air is crisp and clear, which is a perfect time to go to Manan Mountain and "hunt grass" in the Central Plains.
When ancient emperors hunted and killed animals, they also chose autumn, which was called autumn hunting. The centralized execution of criminals was also carried out in the autumn, which was called Qiuhouwenzhan. The people were recruited for corvee service, mostly during the slack time after the autumn harvest. The exams for scholars are also scheduled to take place in the autumn, which is called the Autumn Examination. Because of the lack of information in ancient times and the long distances, people were away from home and were not allowed to return home for a long time. In late autumn, swan geese began to fly south, which aroused a lot of longing and sorrow among people.
In ancient poetry that expresses autumn, parting and sorrow occupy a large proportion. For example, "Autumn colors are not far or near. When you go out, you are in the cold mountains." After the Tang and Song Dynasties, the feelings of family and country also occupied a large chapter, such as Li Bai's "Midnight Autumn Song", "There is a moon in Chang'an, and the sound of thousands of households pounding clothes. The autumn wind can't blow, but it is always the love of the jade. When will the Hulu be pacified, will the good be good? People stop the expedition." Fan Zhongyan's "Proud of the Fisherman", "Autumn comes and the scenery is strange. I don't notice the wild geese in Hengyang. There are sounds from all directions. Thousands of mountains, long smoke and sunset, and the lonely city is closed. A glass of turbid wine can lead to thousands of miles away, and the swallows have not yet returned. "The Qiang Guan is covered with frost. The general is white-haired and his husband is crying." There are also many masterpieces with high artistic conception, such as "Since ancient times, autumn has been sad and lonely, and I say that autumn is better than spring." Remember, it’s the most orange-yellow-orange-green time.”
Straightforward expressions of one’s feelings, expressing ambitions, and feelings about family and country constitute the theme of Chinese people’s sadness in autumn. For thousands of years, it has formed a strong line of Chinese people's Qiu Si culture, which is full of humanistic sentiments.
Modern people mostly imitate the ancients when they chant autumn and lament autumn. In fact, it does not have the soil and natural conditions for survival. In peacetime, China was a prosperous country with high-speed rail, dense aviation network, and high-speed and high-grade highways all over urban and rural areas. In the electronic age, digital communication, WeChat and mobile video connect you and me at all times. Especially in autumn, there is the National Day holiday, beautiful mountains and rivers, flag raising in Tiananmen Square, and military exercises in Inner Mongolia. There is great power diplomacy externally, and the Chinese dream is being realized step by step internally. As long as overseas travelers are willing, they can realize their dream of returning to their roots at any time. Sadness for spring and sadness for autumn has evolved from the past feelings of love and hatred for home and country into pure poetic feelings.
Live in the present, look to the future, and advise you not to be sad if nothing happens. When we face a fallen leaf, treat it as a leaf. Quietly appreciate the beauty of fallen leaves under the golden sunshine, and let our poetry flow freely. Singing about the beauty of autumn, the splendor of mountains and rivers, and the glory of China.
October 9, 2018