Crossing the Lingding Ocean, hard things have happened once, and there are only a few stars around in the fight. The mountains and rivers are broken, the wind flutters and the catkins float, and the life experience is ups and downs, and the rain hits the rafters. Afraid of the beach, said panic, lonely in the ocean sigh alone. Since ancient times, no one has died, leaving a loyal heart to illuminate history. Today's translation: Looking back on the hardships I endured in my early years from the imperial examination to becoming an official, it has been four weeks since the war ended. The country is in danger like catkins in a strong wind, and an individual is like duckweed in a sudden rain. The disastrous defeat at Panpantan makes me still terrified. Being trapped in Yuanlu at Lingxiayang, I lamented that I was all alone. Since ancient times, no one has been able to live forever. I want to leave a piece of patriotic loyalty to reflect history. About the author Wen Tianxiang (1236-1283), a patriotic poet of the Southern Song Dynasty. He was given the courtesy name Lushan, also named Songrui, and his nickname was Wenshan. He was a native of Luling (now Ji'an City, Jiangxi Province). At the end of the Southern Song Dynasty, he fought against the enemy with all his strength, was defeated and captured, but never succumbed to the coercion and inducement of the Yuan people, and finally died calmly. His later poems mainly described the difficult journey of fighting against the Yuan soldiers, expressing the steadfast national integrity, being generous and tragic, and deeply touching. Notes ①Lingdingyang: at the mouth of the Pearl River south of Zhongshan, Guangdong today. Wen Tianxiang was captured by the Yuan army in December of the first year of Xiangxing's reign (1278), the last emperor of the Song Dynasty, Zhao Bing. Commander Zhang Shijie. So Wen Tianxiang wrote this poem. ② "Hard work" sentence: recalls the early life and various hardships since becoming an official. Encounter means to be selected by the imperial court; Qiyijing means to pass the imperial examination and get an official position because of proficiency in a certain scripture. Wen Tianxiang became the first Jinshi in the fourth year of Emperor Lizong Baoyou's reign (1256) in the Song Dynasty. ③Gangge Liaoluo: Liaoluo means deserted and sparse. This means that the war between the Song and Yuan Dynasties is coming to an end. The Southern Song Dynasty died this year (1279) and was unable to resist at this time. The four-week star: The Zhou star is the Sui star. The Sui star circulates in the sky for twelve years, so the Zhou star refers to the twelve years. The four stars are forty-eight years. Wen Tianxiang was forty-four when he wrote this poem. The four stars here are in whole numbers. Most of the old annotations refer to the four years since Wen Tianxiang responded to the imperial edict of King Qin in 1275. In fact, the first two sentences of this poem should be understood together, as they are the poet's review of his life experiences. ④ "Mountains and rivers" sentence: It means that the national situation and personal destiny are irreversible. ⑤ Panic Beach: In today's Wan'an County, Jiangxi Province, the water flow is rapid and it is one of the eighteen beaches of the Gan River. In the second year of Jingyan's reign (1277), Emperor Ruizong of the Song Dynasty, Wen Tianxiang was defeated in Kongqian, Jiangxi Province, and retreated to Fujian via the panic beach. ⑥ "Ling Ding" sentence: Lamenting the current situation and one's own bravery and isolation. After the poet was captured, he was imprisoned in a warship in Lingding Ocean. ⑦History: Annals of History. Before the invention of paper, bamboo slips were used to record events. When making bamboo slips, they must be roasted with fire to remove the sweat (moisture) from the bamboo, so it is called history. Appreciation: This poem was written by Wen Tianxiang after he was captured and committed to death. In one or two sentences, the poet looks back on his life, but due to space limitations, the writing method is to cite two events, one after entering an official position and one after being defeated in the army, to summarize the rest. The four sentences in the middle closely follow "There are few battles" and clearly express the author's understanding of the current situation: the country is in a precarious situation, the tragedy of national subjugation is inevitable, and it is even more difficult to talk about personal destiny. But in the face of this great change, what the poet thought of was not his personal way out and future, but his deep regret that he failed to achieve military victory in Konghang two years ago and thus reverse the situation. At the same time, I also felt particularly sad about my isolation and helplessness. From the lines, it is not difficult for us to feel the author's desolate mood intertwined with the great pain of the ruin of his country and his family, self-blame and self-lament. The last two sentences are the poet's unhesitating choice of his own destiny when he is trapped in the enemy's hands. This adds a tragic and passionate strength and confidence to the previous emotions and regrets, showing a unique sublime beauty. This is not only a reflection of the poet's personality charm, but also the unique spiritual beauty of the Chinese nation. Its touching qualities go far beyond the scope of language.
Reference: /news/20556.htm