The Original Text and Translation of Cao Zhi's White Horse Piece

From Jian 'an, Emperor Xian of Han Dynasty, to the early years of Huang Dynasty in Wei Wendi? 196-226? , is a golden age in the history of China's poetry. Under the advocacy of Cao Shi and his son, Yuefu poems in the Han Dynasty were mixed with sadness and joy, and the realism spirit derived from events was inherited and carried forward. A group of poets who met after a long separation, witnessed hardships, and were willing to face up to reality, not only wrote the social truth into the pen, but also injected their own true feelings. The most valuable literary works in this period, besides reflecting the war and people's suffering, are chapters expressing the ideals and ambitions of making contributions to the country. The representative works in this field are Cao Cao's Gui Although Shou and Cao Zhi's White Horse Piece. If Guithough Shou is the song of a brave veteran, then White Horse is the ideal song of a heroic teenager. The poem depicts a white horse hero who is good at martial arts and loyal to the country.

Cao Zhi? 192-232? Cao Cao's third son, Zi Zijian. Born in troubled times, he fought with his father in all directions since childhood, facing the sea in the east, Yumen in the west and Xuansai in the north. Since the separatist regime in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, the commitment to national unity and social stability has been the strongest voice of the times. The call of this era, coupled with the heroic ambition of Cao Cao, a martyr who fought for national reunification, cultivated Cao Zhi's ideal of serving the country and the people and cast a patriotic and talented heroic image in his heart. Yuan Haowen, a writer in Jin Dynasty, said that the real poem should be the poet's heart. It can be said that "White Horse Piece" is Cao Zhi's heart painting, which entrusts the poet's desire and vision to contribute to the country.

There are 28 sentences in the whole poem, which we might as well understand in four layers.

The first two sentences are the first layer. The white horse wore gold shackles and flew to the northwest. The white horse wore a gold halter and went straight to the northwest. The first sentence does not write people, people are among them. What is used here is the technique of metonymy contrast, which refers to people with horses and sets off people's valor with horses. In the eyes of the ancients, the white horse not only has the ability to fight, but also symbolizes firmness, loyalty, dedication and sacrifice. Cao Zhi, who was born in troubled times and grew up in the army, is determined to make contributions to the Ming Dynasty and the world. It is appropriate to call his ideal young hero a white horse. Flying over the northwest shows the urgency of the military situation and creates a rich atmosphere of war.