"These feelings can be recalled later, but at the time they were confused."
It means: These feelings can still be recalled today, but at the time they made people feel melancholy and confused.
Full text:
"Jin Se"
Li Shangyin
The Jin Se has fifty strings for no reason, each string and one column is reminiscent of the past.
Zhuang Sheng was obsessed with butterflies in his morning dream, and looked forward to the emperor's spring heart with cuckoos.
The moon in the sea has tears, and the sun in Lantian is warm and the jade produces smoke.
This feeling can be recalled later, but it was already at a loss.
Explanation of poetry
Why does Jinse have fifty strings? Every string and column reminds me of my youth. Zhuang Zhou once dreamed that he had transformed into a butterfly, and the Emperor Wang's homesickness was entrusted to the cuckoo's cry. Tears under the bright moon turned into pearls, and the beautiful jade in the blue field seemed to give off hazy smoke in the warm sun. These feelings can still be recalled today, but at the time they made people feel melancholy and confused.
Explanation of words
Jinse: According to legend, the ancient se has fifty strings.
Lantian: The name of a mountain in present-day Shaanxi that produces beautiful jade.
Poetry Appreciation
The poet has experienced unspeakable pain and extreme suffering in his life. It is probably not a conjecture to say that there is hatred of separation between life and death in Jinse's poems. The poet recalled his youth, lamented his unfortunate experiences, and expressed his sadness and resentment. The whole poem uses metaphors, makes good use of allusions, has gorgeous words, deep implications, long sincerity, and is deeply touching.