Translation of "Mawei":
There is no need to sing about the joys and sorrows of the emperor's concubines; there is also a Milky Way in the world, which separated thousands of couples.
There are countless couples saying goodbye like that in Shihao Village, and the tears of the common people are much more than the few tears shed on the Palace of Eternal Life.
Original text:
Don’t sing the song of eternal regret, for there is also a Milky Way in the world.
When couples say goodbye in Shihao Village, they shed more tears than in the Palace of Eternal Life.
"Mawei" is a seven-character quatrain composed by the Qing Dynasty poet Yuan Mei. This poem examines the love tragedy of Tang Xuanzong and Yang Guifei against the background of the tragic experiences of the common people, emphasizing that the suffering of the broad masses of people is far beyond that of imperial concubines. The first two sentences express the poet's deep sympathy for the sufferings of the lower class people; the last two sentences reveal the reality that various misfortunes in society force many couples to be unable to reunite.
Extended information:
1. Creation background:
This poem was written in the 17th year of Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty (1752) when the author was on his way to Shaanxi to take up a post. The Anshi Rebellion occurred in the 14th year of Tianbao in the Tang Dynasty (765). When Tang Xuanzong fled from Chang'an, Kyoto, to Sichuan and passed through Maweipo, the imperial army mutinied, forcing Emperor Xuanzong to order Concubine Yang to hang herself. Poets of all ages have written about this historical event. The most famous one is Bai Juyi's long narrative poem "Song of Everlasting Sorrow". The poet remembered history and naturally thought of "Song of Everlasting Sorrow" and wrote this poem to express his emotions.
2. About the author:
Yuan Mei (March 25, 1716 - January 3, 1798): courtesy name Zicai, nickname Jianzhai, and in his later years named himself Cangshan Jushi , Suiyuan owner, Suiyuan old man. A native of Qiantang (now Hangzhou, Zhejiang), his ancestral home is Cixi, Zhejiang. Representative poets, essayists, literary critics and gourmets during the Qianjia and Qing Dynasties.
Yuan Mei advocated the "Xingling Theory", and together with Zhao Yi and Jiang Shiquan, they were called the "Three Great Masters of Qianjia" (or the Three Great Masters of Jiangyou), and together with Zhao Yi and Zhang Wentao, they were also called the "Three Great Schools of Xingling". Everyone" is one of the "Eight Masters of Parallel Prose in the Qing Dynasty". His writing style is as famous as Ji Yun, a great scholar from Zhili, and was called "Ji of the Southern Yuan and the Northern Dynasties" at that time.
The main handed down works include "Collected Works of Xiaocang Shanfang", "Suiyuan Poetry" and "Supplement", "Suiyuan Food List", "Zi Buyu", "Sequel to Zi Buyu", etc. . The representative prose work "Essay on Sacrifice to Sisters" is sad and sincere and has been circulated for a long time. Classical prose commentators mention it together with "Essay on Sacrifice to Twelve Langs" written by Han Yu in the Tang Dynasty.
Baidu Encyclopedia - Ma Wei
Baidu Encyclopedia - Yuan Mei