The meaning of this poem is: I think back to the prosperous times of Kaiyuan, when there were tens of thousands of people living in small cities.
This poem comes from the second poem of "Two Poems on Recalling the Past" by Du Fu, a poet of the Tang Dynasty. The full text of the poem is as follows:
Recalling the heyday of Kaiyuan in the past, Xiaoyi still has thousands of treasures. Family room. The rice is dripping with fat and the corn is white, and both the public and private warehouses are abundant.
There are no jackals and tigers on the roads of Kyushu, and there is no good luck for a long journey. Qi Wan and Lu's carriages are moving in shifts, and the men plowing the fields and the women mulching trees keep up with each other.
The saint in the palace plays Yunmen, and all the friends in the world are glued together. There has been no disaster for more than a hundred years. Uncle Sun Li Le Xiao He Lu.
Don’t you know that a piece of silk is worth ten thousand dollars, and there is a field that grows grain and now it bleeds. The palaces in Luoyang were burned down, and the ancestral temples were newly cleared of fox and rabbit holes.
I am so sad that I can’t bear to ask about my elders, and I am afraid that I will leave from the beginning. The minister is dull and incompetent, but the imperial court recognizes Meng Lu's rank.
Zhou Xuan looked at our emperor when he was rejuvenated, and shed tears as Jiang Han became ill.
Kaiyuan: Emperor Xuanzong of Tang Dynasty (718-741). The Kaiyuan era is one of the most famous eras in Chinese history. Sun Zhu said: "During the Kaiyuan period, peace lasted for a long time. There were no dangers in the surrounding suburbs. People lived in the wilds, mulberry trees and hemp trees were woven, and the sounds of chickens and dogs could be heard. At that time, I opened the far gate and traveled westward for more than ten thousand miles. There was no luggage picked up on the road, and no food was provided to the travelers. , A strong man does not know weapons."
Xiaoyi: a small town. Hidden: to live. Wanjiashi: means there are many household registrations. "Zizhi Tongjian" recorded in the 28th year of Kaiyuan by Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty: "In this year, there are 1,573 counties in the world, 8,412,871 households, and 4,810 mouths. Forty-three thousand six hundred and nine.
Vernacular translation
Think back to the prosperous days of the Kaiyuan Dynasty, when small cities had a population of tens of thousands, and there were abundant grain reserves and warehouses for storing rice. The society is stable, the world is peaceful, there are no bandits, there are no jackals on the road, the journey is safe, and you can travel far at any time, so there is no need to choose a good day.
The handicraft industry and commerce were developed at that time. , there are endless traffic of merchants on the road. Men are cultivating mulberry trees and women are doing their jobs. In the palace, the emperor plays the music of worshiping heaven and earth. The social atmosphere is peaceful and peaceful, and people are friendly to each other. The relationship was harmonious, and no major disasters occurred for more than a hundred years. The country was prosperous and the politics was clear.
Unexpectedly, after the Anshi Rebellion, the countryside was desolate and prices were high, and a piece of silk cloth cost ten thousand yuan. After being burned to the ground, Tubo also captured Chang'an and occupied it for half a month. Daizong regained the two capitals soon after, and did not dare to talk about the past with the senior people, for fear that they would start talking about the fall of the two capitals on Anlu Mountain and make each other hurt. Come on.
I am stupid and incompetent. Thanks to the imperial court, I was given the official position of Inspector of Schools and Works Department. I hope that the contemporary emperor can restore the politics of the early Zhou Dynasty like King Zhou Xuan and make the Zhou Dynasty more prosperous. If ZTE restores the country and the country like this, I will also be moved to tears in the Bashu area where Jianghan flows.
Extended information:
"Two Poems on Recalling the Past" is a collection of poems written by Du Fu, a poet from the Tang Dynasty. A collection of poems written in the second year of Guangde (764). Although the title is "Recalling the Past," it is actually a satire on the present. The first poem "Recalling the Past" talks about the eunuch Li Fuguo and Zhang Liangdi whom Suzong of the Tang Dynasty trusted and loved, which led to the corruption of the country's political order. , the purpose is to warn Emperor Daizong of the Tang Dynasty not to follow the old path of Su Zong; the second poem recalls the prosperous Kaiyuan era during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, and the purpose is to encourage Emperor Daizong of the Tang Dynasty to devote himself to rejuvenating the country and restoring its past prosperity, not to remember the past for the sake of remembering the past.
Although Du Fu observes reality from the standpoint and ideals of the landlord class, the prosperous people, peaceful environment, and adequate food and clothing described in the second poem are also what the working people long for. Therefore, Du Fu's politics. Ideals are beneficial to the people. The poet has always had the lofty ideal of "being in a humble position but dare not forget about the country" and the spiritual state of "protecting the poor people all over the world with joy".
Reference: Baidu Encyclopedia-Two Songs Recalling the Past