Yuan Zhen · "Li Si"
There was a time when the sea was difficult to overcome, except for Wushan, it was not a cloud.
Looking back lazily at Huacong, I am half destined to practice Taoism and half destined to be a king.
The meaning of the whole poem is: After experiencing the vastness of the sea, you will no longer be attracted by other water. After experiencing the lingering clouds and rain in Wushan, the scenery elsewhere will no longer be called clouds and rain. I was walking among the flowers, but I had no intention of watching the blooming flowers. Half of it was because I was devoted to Buddhism and Taoism, and half of it was because I couldn't forget you.
Yuan Zhen’s poem describes his unforgettable infatuation with his past lover. No matter how beautiful a woman is, in his eyes, she can't compare to the one he likes, just like people who have experienced the sea water and the clouds in Wushan no longer regard the water clouds in other places as water clouds.
The name of Yuan Zhen's beloved wife was Wei Cong, who was four years younger than Yuan Zhen. She married Yuan Zhen at the age of twenty, and unfortunately passed away at the age of twenty-seven. In addition to "Three Poems of Condemnation of Sadness", Yuan Zhen also wrote to her "Five Poems of Parting Thoughts", "Eight Poems of Reminiscing in the Spring of Six Years", "Five Poems of Miscellaneous Memories", etc. It can be said that each of them is deeply touching. . From these poems, we can imagine that Wei Cong is a virtuous and beautiful woman, and we can also know that Yuan Zhen is an infatuated and grateful man.
The poem is transformed from "Mencius: Endeavoring the Heart" "It is difficult for those who look at the sea to be water, and it is difficult for those who swim in the gate of the sage to speak". The meaning of the sentence is: I have been to the sea and seen sea water, and I feel that other water can hardly be called water; except for the clouds of the goddess on Wushan Mountain, there are no such beautiful clouds. The sea water is deep, wide and turbulent, naturally dwarfing the water in rivers and lakes. Song Yu's "Gaotang Fu" says that the clouds in Wushan are transformed by the goddess, "belonging to the sky above, and seen from the abyss below. They are so rare and strange that they cannot be described"; Lu You's "Enter Shu" says: "There are countless white clouds on the goddess peak. The pieces are like luan and crane flying and dancing, lingering for a long time, but they can also be different." Clouds like this will naturally pale in comparison to clouds elsewhere. "Difficult" and "not" are obviously exaggerations, but the images of "Canghai" and "Wushan" are the best in the water, and the best among the clouds. Each is the only one in the world, the greatest and the most beautiful. Anyone who has experienced and viewed it It is indeed difficult for people to take a fancy to other water and clouds. The poet "asks for things to express his feelings", speaks near and far away, and has a charming style. He emphasizes the incomparable lyrical object and expresses his infinite admiration and loyal love for his deceased wife Wei Cong, thereby not only expressing his feelings but also comforting his deceased wife. Mencius has two sentences, one is "It is difficult to be water" and the other is "It is difficult to speak". Yuan Zhen has two sentences, one is "It is difficult to be water" and the other is "It is not cloud". They are not only innovative, but also good at changing their wording.
When people use these two sentences today, they often mean that people’s broad experience will broaden their horizons and pursue higher goals. This is a work in memory of his late wife Wei Cong. The poet uses the metaphorical technique of "asking for things to show affection" and uses sharp words and phrases to praise the love between husband and wife and express his loyalty and nostalgia for Wei Cong.
The first two sentences, "Once upon a time, it was difficult for the sea to be made of water, but except for Wushan Mountain, it is not clouds", which is derived from the chapter "Mencius: Full of Heart", "It is difficult for those who look at the sea to be water, and those who swim in the gate of the saint are difficult to speak". The metaphors used in the two places are similar, but "Mencius" is a simile, using "watching the sea" as a metaphor for "swimming in the gate of the sage", and the metaphorical meaning is obvious; while these two sentences are metaphors, and the metaphorical meaning is not obvious. The sea is so vast and deep that it dwarfs water elsewhere. There is Chaoyun Peak in Wushan, overlooking the Yangtze River, with steaming clouds and brilliant clouds. According to Song Yu's "Preface to the Ode of the High Tang Dynasty", the clouds are transformed by goddesses. They belong to the sky above and fall into the abyss. They are as lush as pine trees and as beautiful as a charming concubine. Therefore, the clouds elsewhere pale in comparison. "Canghai" and "Wushan" are the largest and most beautiful images in the world. The poet used them as metaphors. Literally, it means that after experiencing "Canghai" and "Wushan", it is difficult to appreciate the water and clouds elsewhere. , is actually used as a metaphor that the relationship between their husband and wife is like the water of the sea and the clouds of Wushan Mountain. Its depth, breadth and beauty are unparalleled in the world. Therefore, except for his beloved wife, there is no other woman who can make him emotional. "It's hard to be water", "It's not clouds" are also love words. Although this is Yuan Zhen's preference for his wife, there are indeed very few husband-wife relationships like theirs. Yuan Zhen vividly described it in his poem "Removing Sorrow". Therefore, the third sentence says that he was walking past the "flowers" and was too lazy to look at them, which means that he has no attachment to women.
The fourth sentence continues the above to explain the reason for "lazy review". Since he was so deeply in love with his deceased wife, why is it said here that he was "partly destined to practice Taoism and half destined to be a king"? During his life, Yuan Zhen "committed himself to the "Xiaoyao Pian" and the "Toutuo Sutra" in his heart" (Bai Juyi's "Ten Heda Poems" praised Yuan Zhen's words), and he respected the Buddha and the Tao. In addition, the "cultivation" here can also be understood as concentrating on the cultivation of moral character and knowledge. However, for Yuan Zhen, whether he respects the Buddha and follows Taoism or cultivates himself and studies, it is just an emotional sustenance for Yuan Zhen who has lost his loved one and is unable to escape his grief. "Ban Yuan Xiu Dao" and "Ban Yuan Jun" express the same concern, and saying "Ban Yuan Xiu Dao" has a deeper meaning. Qin Chao's "Xiaohan Shihua" in the Qing Dynasty believed that mourning the death of a person and saying "half-yuanjun" was a sign of ruthlessness, which would not understand the poet's difficulties.
Yuan Zhen’s quatrain is not only highly descriptive and intensely lyrical, but also has a superb writing style. The first two sentences use extreme metaphors to describe the feeling of nostalgia and mourning, such as "Canghai" and "Wushan". The words have a heroic meaning, with the potential of resounding tragic songs and rushing rivers. Later, "Lazy Review" and "Ban Yuanjun" suddenly slowed down the tone of the poem and turned into a melodious and profound lyricism.
It relaxes freely and changes smoothly, forming an ups and downs melody. As for the mood of the whole poem, it is romantic but not vulgar, magnificent but not gaudy, tragic but not depressing, creating a perfect realm among the mourning quatrains of the Tang Dynasty. The two sentences "Once upon a time in the sea" are particularly well-recited.