Song Zhiwen·Crossing the Han River
The foreign pronunciation of Ling ① is broken, and winter returns to spring.
I am even more timid when I am close to my hometown and dare not ask anyone.
Notes
①Ling: Nanling.
Appreciation
Song Zhiwen (656 AD - 712 AD), named Yanqing, alias Shaolian, Han nationality, Fenzhou (now Shanxi) Fenyang City) people. One is said to be from Hongnong, Guozhou (now Lingbao County, Henan Province). A famous poet in the early Tang Dynasty. Born in a scholarly family, he is better than Yang Jiong. In the second year of Shangyuan (AD 675), he became a Jinshi. In the early days, his official career was smooth, he was praised for his virtues and was favored by Wu Zetian. He often does unjust things and is criticized by others. When Zhongzong of the later Tang Dynasty succeeded to the throne, Song Zhiwen, Du Shenyan and other friends were all demoted.
Song Zhiwen was demoted to Longzhou (now Luoding County, Guangdong) to join the army. Things were difficult and he longed for his past glory. In the spring of the next year, he secretly fled back to Luoyang. He found out that his friends were plotting to kill the prime minister, and later sent someone to inform him. He was promoted to be the chief secretary of Honglu, "because of which he was deeply ridiculed by the righteous".
In the third year of Jinglong reign of Emperor Zhongzong of Tang Dynasty (709 AD), he was defeated in the imperial party struggle and moved to Yuezhou (now Shaoxing City, Zhejiang Province). The political turmoil in the court and the vagaries of personal favors and disgraces made Song Zhiwen deeply moved. Coming from the decaying and stale palace to the fresh and beautiful waterside town, he also began to purify his soul, his realm was sublimated, and his poetic style suddenly changed. During the reign of Emperor Ruizong of Tang Dynasty, he was transferred to Guizhou. In August of the first year of Xiantian (AD 712), Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty Li Longji came to the throne, and Song Zhiwen was granted death in his residence.
This poem was written by Song Zhiwen when he was passing through the Han River (referring to a section of the Han River near Xiangyang) when he was returning from being demoted to Pongzhou (now Luoding County, Guangdong). Just think, it is miserable enough to denounce the wilderness, not to mention being cut off from family members and uncertain about each other's life and death. It is conceivable that they feel homesick. However, I feel homesick, but I mean the opposite. The closer I get to my hometown, the less I dare to ask about news about my hometown, for fear of hearing bad news. The contradictory psychology is described extremely vividly.