1. First, let’s introduce the content of the original poem:
I heard that Wang Changling moved to the left and Long Biaoyuan sent this message
Dynasty: Tang Dynasty
Author: Li Bai
When all the poplar flowers have fallen, Zigui cries, and I hear the dragon marking the way across the Five Streams.
I send my sorrowful heart to the bright moon, and follow the wind to the west of the night.
2. Writing background:
The poem "I heard that Wang Changling moved to the left and sent this message to Long Biaoyuan" was probably written in 753 AD (the twelfth year of Tianbao by Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty). At that time, Wang Changling was demoted from Jiangning Cheng to Lieutenant of Longbiao County (now Qianyang County, Hunan Province). Li Bai wrote this poem after hearing that his friend was demoted in Yangzhou.
3. ① Translation:
When the poplar flowers have finished falling and Zigui crows, I heard that you passed by Wuxi. I put my sad thoughts on the bright moon, hoping to accompany you to the west of Yelang with the wind.
② Notes:
(1) Yanghua: catkins. Zigui: It is a cuckoo bird. According to legend, its cry is sad and mournful. All the poplar flowers have fallen: One work is "Flowers Falling in Yangzhou".
(2) Longbiao: refers to Wang Changling in the poem. The ancients often used the official position or the name of the state or county where he held the official to refer to a person. Wuxi: It is the general name of Wuxi, Wuxi, Youxi, Yuanxi and Chenxi, in the western part of Hunan Province today.
(3) and: give.
(4) Sui Feng: One word is "Suijun". Yelang: During the Han Dynasty, ethnic minorities in southwestern China established political power in parts of present-day western and northern Guizhou, northeastern Yunnan and southern Sichuan, and were called Yelang. During the Tang Dynasty, Yelang County was established in today's Tongzi, Guizhou, and Yuanling, Hunan. This refers to Yelang in Hunan (in today's Xinhuang Dong Autonomous County, adjacent to Qianyang). Li Bai was in the southeast at that time, so he said "Follow the wind until Ye Langxi".
4. Appreciation:
This is a short lyrical chapter of just four sentences, but the emotional weight is quite heavy. At the beginning, it selects two things with local characteristics to depict the late spring scene in southern China and create a sad and melancholy atmosphere. Poplars are catkins. Zigui is the alias of the cuckoo bird. According to legend, this bird is the spirit of Du Yu, King of Shu, and its song is extremely sad and moving. The dragon mark here refers to Wang Changling. It has been a trend among literati since the Tang Dynasty to use the official name as a title. The five streams are Chenxi, Youxi, Wuxi, Wuxi, and Yuanxi at the junction of Hunan and Guizhou. In the Tang Dynasty, this area was still regarded as a remote and barren land, and it was also where Wang Changling was going to be demoted. After reading these two poems, it is not difficult for us to imagine that the poet was traveling abroad in the late spring of March in the South, with catkins falling in front of his eyes and the sad cries of cuckoos in his ears. This situation is enough to make people sad, not to mention the unfortunate news that a friend has been banished far away? The first two sentences may seem plain, but they actually contain relatively rich content and play a multi-faceted role: they not only describe the season, but also describe the atmosphere, not only highlight the title, but also serve as a lyrical basis for the next two sentences.
The two sentences "I send my sorrowful heart and the bright moon, and follow you until the night in the west" closely follow the above and express the poet's feelings here and now. The word "jun" is written as "wind". The so-called "Yelang" here does not refer to the Yelang Kingdom of the Han Dynasty, but to the Yelang County of the Sui Dynasty, which should be in the Chenxi area of ????Hunan Province (see "Yudi Jisheng" Volume 71); and Longbiao It is just west of Chenxi, so there is a saying "until Yelangxi". The word "sorrowful heart" in the sentence also contains rich content and is worth pondering carefully. Why is the poet full of sorrow? It can be said that here there are deep worries about what happened to old friends, as well as indignation and grievances about the reality at that time, sincere thoughts, and sincere concern. Before Wang Changling was demoted, he was the Prime Minister of Jiangning. When he went to Longbiao, he went up the river from Jiangning (see Fu Xuancong's "A Collection of Poets of the Tang Dynasty"). Naturally, the poet who was far away in Yangzhou and was uncertain about his travels could not say goodbye to his old friend in person, so he had to leave a deep feeling Entrust it to the bright moon thousands of miles away, and express my longing for my old friend from afar.
Using the bright moon to express nostalgia for travel and nostalgia. This association and expression technique have appeared more than once in Li Bai's previous poems. Bao Zhao's poem: "At three, five, two and eight o'clock, I am with you thousands of miles away." Tang Huixiu's "Poetry of Resentment": "The bright moon shines on the high building, and you are thousands of miles away." There is also a line in "Song of Midnight and Four O'clock" by Yuefu in the Southern Dynasties: "Look up at the bright moon. , the sentence of sending love to a thousand miles of light. But comparing them with these two poems by Li Bai, it can be said that Li Bai's poems are better than others. Poets of previous generations only thought of relatives and friends in other places after seeing the bright moon, or wanted to ask the moon to express their deep feelings. But here, Li Bai not only asked the moon to express his feelings, but also asked the bright moon to be his substitute, accompanied by the unfortunate misfortune. The friend went all the way to a remote and desolate place west of Yelang.
This poem was probably written by Qin Guan in the spring of the second year of Shaosheng, five years before his death. Because the epilogue contains the sentence "Drunk and lying under the shade of an ancient vine", later generations thought it was a prophecy that he died in Tengzhou, which is actually a superstition.
The whole poem is written with light language, scenery language, address language, beautiful language, and strange language. The scenery is wonderful and the artistic conception is profound. It uses the beautiful dreamland to hide the painful feelings. It is true. "Like a ghost, like a fairy", "raised high and admired from afar, with the intention of leaving the world behind", full of romantic and strange colors.
5. Introduction to the poet:
Qin Guan (1049-1100), also known as Taixu and Shaoyou, was also nicknamed Hangou Jushi and known as Mr. Huaihai in the world. Han nationality, a native of Gaoyou (now Jiangsu) in the Northern Song Dynasty. He was an official and became a doctor of Taixue. He was an editor of the National History Museum. Qin Guan lived a rough life, and the poems he wrote are ancient and heavy, reflecting his life experience and deeply touching.
Su Shi passed through Yangzhou and visited Qin Guan in person. It happened that Sun Jue and Wang Gong were also in Gaoyou, so they made an appointment to visit Dongyue Temple, where they drank wine, recited poems and composed poems, which became a good story. Wherever Qin Guan traveled during his lifetime, there are many relics. For example, Qin Shaoyou Temple in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, Qin Shaoyou Statue, Mr. Huaihai Temple, and Yinghua Pavilion in Lishui; Qin Xueshi Temple in Qingtian; Sanjue Monument in Chenzhou, Hunan; Haitang Pavilion, Zuixiang Pavilion, Huaihai Hall, Huaihai Academy, etc. in Hengxian County, Guangxi. Qin Guan's tomb is located on Canshan Mountain in the north of Huishan in Wuxi. The tombstone has the characters "Qin Long Tu Tomb" written on it. There are Qinjia Village, Qinjia Courtyard and Ancient Literature Tour Platform, a provincial cultural relic protection unit.