Introduction: The process of searching for plum blossoms in the first three sentences of "Looking for Plum Blossoms" is actually the author's persistent pursuit of his ideal. The two sentences "Where does the cold wind bring the fragrance? Suddenly we meet in silk clothes and silk clothes", giving people the pleasure of "looking for him a thousand times in the crowd" and finally reaching the other shore.
Water Fairy. Looking for Plums
Qiao Ji
There are several villages before and after winter. There are frost in the north and south of the stream, at the top of the trees and on the solitary mountain at the bottom of the trees. Where does the fragrance come from when the cold wind comes? Suddenly I meet the silk clothes and silk clothes. The wine wakes me up from the cold, and I wake up from my dream. The flute breaks my heart in spring, and the pale moon is dim.
[Writing background]
Qiao Ji’s collection of sanqu contains many poems about scenery and objects. This poem was inspired by the author’s feeling when he was looking for plum blossoms on a winter day.
[Note]
Two feet on frost: two feet on frost.
Gushan: In the West Lake of Hangzhou, there are many plum blossoms. Song Dynasty poet Lin Bu once lived in seclusion here to admire plum blossoms and raise cranes.
Onyx silk clothes: white silk clothes and thin silk skirts, all of which are like the ice crystal jade of plum blossoms.
[Translation]
I walked through several villages in the winter, walking in the south and north of the stream, my feet were frosty, and I was running around alone under the trees again and again. Mountain. The cold wind blew and the fragrance drifted from nowhere. Suddenly, a fairy in white silk clothes came next to me. After waking up from the wine, I was startled by the spring dream in the cold weather, and the desolate sound of the flute made people heartbroken. At this time, the first month of the year was pale and yellow.
Translation
Before and after winter, I visited several villages and traveled all over the south and north of the stream. My feet were covered with frost. I searched up and down among the trees, but there was no trace of plum blossoms. I couldn't find them, so I stood on the top of the mountain dejectedly. Suddenly, a cold wind blew, bringing a fragrance from nowhere. When I looked back, I saw that she was right behind me, with such light makeup. Simple and elegant, yet standing pretty. I suddenly felt like meeting a plum blossom fairy, amazed by her elegance and refinement, and intoxicated by her unparalleled elegance. However, the spring cold woke me up from my drunken dream. When I heard the plaintive sound of the flute, I thought that spring would end and the plum blossoms would wither. At this time, the pale moonlight shrouded the dusk.
Appreciation
The process of searching for plum blossoms in the first three sentences of "Looking for Plum Blossoms" is actually the author's persistent pursuit of his ideal. The two sentences "Where does the cold wind bring the fragrance? Suddenly we meet in silk clothes and silk clothes", giving people the pleasure of "looking for him a thousand times in the crowd" and finally reaching the other shore. Unexpectedly, the author's mood suddenly reversed: the cold wind bit into his bones, he suddenly woke up from alcohol, and the sad flute sound was heartbreaking; while the hazy moonlight was melting the plum blossoms. At the end, three allusions are used to further describe the charm of plum blossoms, which naturally brings out the poet's sigh and sadness because of the difficulty of realizing his ideal. This article has ups and downs of emotions and twists and turns in the plot, which truly records the author's complex heart and reflects the complex social reality at that time.
This Sanqu is the work of Qiao Ji, one of the representatives of the late Yuan Dynasty music circle. His works are clear and simple, with both elegance and vulgarity. This poem "Looking for Plum Blossoms" is one of his famous works. This Sanqu adopts a writing technique that combines emotions with scenery. On the surface, it is about plum blossoms, but in fact it reflects the author's mood and the ideological connotation he wants to express.
Qiaoji has never been prominent in his life, and can even be said to be in poverty. Therefore, the content of his works shows a negative world-weary mood and dissatisfaction with reality, and at the same time expresses his own voice.
Combined with these background analyses, the plum blossoms in this piece of music can be understood as synonymous with the author’s noble character. This can also be seen in his other Sanqu "Zhegui Ling Jingxi Ji Shi" :
Ask the people on the Jingxi River: Why don't they plant plum blossoms? The old trees branch out, the wild cattails surround the banks, and the bitter bamboos circle the fence. There are no monks in the temple, and the fox-like tiles are like tiles, and the officials have nothing to do but birds and mice serve as yamen. The white water and yellow sand are all over the stems, and there are countless crows.
In "The Incident in Jingxi", the author satirizes the social reality that the corrupt bureaucracy and the declining social atmosphere in China at that time resulted in the hardship of the people and the failure of justice to be served. I lament that every family does not grow plum blossoms, but it actually implies that no one has the noble character of plum blossoms.
Therefore, the plum blossoms in "Xunmei" can also be a symbol of noble character. The word "Xunmei" itself expresses the author's desire and pursuit of noble character. "Before winter and after winter" tells the long time of searching for plum blossoms, from before winter to after winter; "South of the stream and north of the stream" and "at the top of the tree and at the bottom of the tree" describe the vast area of ??searching for plum blossoms, with streams running north and south, solitary. The author searched all over the mountain. On the one hand, these two sentences express the author's difficulty and diligence in finding plum blossoms from the vast span of time and space; on the other hand, they also reflect the author's love for plum blossoms from the side. At the end of the day, he refused to give up from before winter until after winter. The intense love for plum blossoms is actually the author's painstaking call for the nobility of human nature and social fairness; the difficulty of finding plum blossoms reflects the difficulty of realizing this wish.
Starting from the third sentence, the author's style of writing changes. Although the first two sentences express the hardship of searching for plum blossoms, the next two sentences bring a bit of relief to the readers. Although it was already the end of winter, the "cold wind" had "come", and I had given up hope in finding plum blossoms, but inadvertently, a faint fragrance came, and the author couldn't help asking himself excitedly, "Where is the fragrance?" It reflects the love of the legend. An eager search for the land of plum fragrance. Suddenly, the "fairy in white" with "绢碂绡裳" came into the author's eyes.
The plum blossoms that he is looking for so hard are as noble and sacred as gods in the author's heart, which once again shows the author's deep love for plum blossoms.
But then, the author changed his pen. Originally, he had found the plum blossoms he was looking for so hard. However, he "sobered up" and the previous joy disappeared in an instant. It turned out that this was all a trap. Dream, now the biting cold wind has awakened the sweet dream. There seems to be a desolate flute sound in the author's heart, which makes the breath of spring not happy, but even more heartbreaking! "Looking for Plum Blossoms" is just a dream. The author woke up from his dream and recognized the reality. What was in front of him was only the faint moonlight with halo, which was dim and the atmosphere of disappointment filled the air. The whole song ends abruptly without telling the final ending, leaving readers with endless reverie and melancholy.