The whole poem of "The great river goes eastward, and the waves are gone" is as follows:
The great river goes eastward, and the waves are gone, and there are all the romantic figures of the ages. On the west side of the fortress, the humane road is Chibi, the Lang of the Zhou Dynasty of the Three Kingdoms. Rocks pierced through the sky, stormy waves crashed onto the shore, and thousands of piles of snow were rolled up. The country is picturesque, and there are so many heroes at one time.
I think back to Gong Jin’s time, when Xiao Qiao got married for the first time and looked majestic and handsome. Feather fans and silk scarves, while talking and laughing, the boats and oars disappeared into ashes. My motherland wanders in my mind, I should laugh at my passion, and I will be born early. Life is like a dream, a statue returns to the moon.
Translation:
The Yangtze River flows eastward, with rolling waves, and the heroes of the ages have passed away with the water of the Yangtze River. To the west of the old fort, people say it is the Red Cliff where Zhou Yu fought during the Three Kingdoms period. Steep and uneven stone walls pierced the sky, and turbulent waves crashed against the river bank, stirring up piles of snow-white spray. The country is like a beautiful picture, and how many heroes gathered in that era.
Thinking back to Zhou Yu back then, Xiao Qiao had just married him. He was young and promising, with a majestic appearance and heroic appearance. He held a feather fan in his hand and wore a silk scarf on his head. While talking and laughing, he burned the enemy's warship to ashes. At this moment, I am thinking about the old events of the Three Kingdoms and paying tribute to the ancients. I should laugh at myself for being sentimental and my hair has turned gray early. Life is like a dream. I'd better pour a glass of wine to pay homage to the bright moon on the river!
Source: Song Dynasty Su Shi's "Niannujiao·Chibi Nostalgia"
Poetry Appreciation
The poet uses "the great river goes eastward", "rocks pierce the sky" and "thousands of piles" Comparing natural scenery such as "Snow" with historical heroes inadvertently reflects the insignificance and helplessness of human beings as individuals. The sentence "Reminiscent of Gong Jin's time, when Xiao Qiao was first married, majestic and heroic", connects the past and the present, connects the near and far, and vividly describes Zhou Yu's suave and heroic appearance.
But at the end, the sentence "the waves are gone" points out that the limitations of human beings will eventually disappear in eternity. The romantic figures of the ages were wiped out by the big waves, and a glass of wine was poured out to pay homage to the bright moon on the river. Heroes are just insignificant sentient beings who can hardly withstand the passage of time, let alone themselves.
Su Shi’s personalized and subjective lyrical method seems to form a strong contrast between Zhou Lang, the hero of the Three Kingdoms, and “I” who are currently being demoted to Huangzhou. But in fact, Su Shi’s role in eternal time Amidst the difficulties of one's own situation, he reconciles with the world and nature, blooming the indifference of being and the world as a whole. Under the aura of this delicate emotion, the aesthetic subject can appreciate his relief and open-mindedness towards life, and then generate a beautiful aesthetic experience.