The flowers are not in full bloom, but the fun of being independent and sparse is not endless. ——Zheng Sixiao, Song Dynasty, "Han Chrysanthemum/Painted Chrysanthemum" The flowers are not in full bloom, but the fun of being independent and sparse is not exhausted. The flowers are not in full bloom, and the fun of being independent and sparse is not endless.
I would rather die with the fragrance on the branches than blow it down in the north wind. Three Hundred Ancient Poems, Autumn, Writing about Flowers, Chrysanthemums Expressing Their Minds Translation and Annotations
Translation
You bloom in autumn and are never among the flowers. Standing alone beside a sparse fence, your sentimental interest has not faded.
I would rather die with the fragrance on the branches than be blown away by the biting north wind! Appreciation
Zheng Sixiao’s poem on chrysanthemums is different from other poems praising chrysanthemums for being beautiful, beautiful, and unyielding. It expresses ambitions based on objects and deeply implies the poet’s life experiences and ideal pursuits. It is A chrysanthemum poem with specific life connotations.
Zheng Sixiao, who was a scholar at Imperial College in the late Southern Song Dynasty, took the examination of Erxue Hongci. When the Yuan soldiers went south, Zheng Sixiao was worried about the country and the people. He went to the imperial court to give direct advice and stated his strategies for resisting the enemy, but he was rejected. Zheng Sixiao was heartbroken and lived in seclusion in Suzhou alone, never marrying. After the fall of the Song Dynasty, he changed his name to Yiweng and his name to Suonan to show that he never forgot his homeland. He also titled his room "Benxue World", split the characters and put the "ten" in the word "ben" in "xue", implying the word "Song Dynasty". He was good at painting ink orchids. After the death of the Song Dynasty, he did not paint orchids with soil. When people asked him why, he replied: "The land was taken away by others, and you still don't know?" Zheng Sixiao strives for integrity, is sad and angry, and makes people cry! He praised chrysanthemums to describe himself. This song "Painting Chrysanthemums" poured his blood, tears and life into it!
These two lines of chrysanthemum chanting poems, "The flowers are not scattered among the hundreds of flowers, but the fun of being independent is not exhausted." are people's first knowledge of chrysanthemums. The chrysanthemum does not bloom at the same time as other flowers. It is a noble person who does not conform to the vulgarity and is not flattering.
"I would rather die holding the fragrance on the branches than be blown away by the north wind" These two sentences further describe the chrysanthemum's noble ambition that it would rather die on the branches than be blown down by the north wind, depicting the proud and proud character of the chrysanthemum. Frost, the aloof and unconventional chrysanthemum, expresses one's determination to adhere to noble integrity and would rather die than surrender to the Yuan Dynasty. This is Zheng Sixiao's unique sentiment and his vow to be unyielding and loyal to his motherland.
Song Dynasty poets' chanting of the dead branches of chrysanthemums has become an incomprehensible complex. This is of course related to the secret pain of the Southern Song Dynasty. Lu You's poem "Withered Chrysanthemum" has the poem "The spare pistils are holding the branches", and Zhu Shuzhen's poem "Yellow Flower" has the poem "I would rather hold the fragrant branches and grow old than dance with the yellow leaves in the autumn wind". Judging from the completeness of the image aesthetics and the clear political direction, they are slightly inferior to these two poems by Zheng Sixiao.
"Dying on a branch with fragrant fragrance" is more poignant and tragic than "growing old on a branch with fragrant fragrance", and the tone is majestic and vows not to look back. Comparing "Have they ever blown into the north wind" with "Don't dance with the yellow leaves in the autumn wind", the former is questioning and the tone is firm; the latter is a statement. The word "dance" brings a slightly lofty sentiment and is slightly disconnected from the theme. More importantly, the former points out the "north wind", which clearly points to the Mongol Khanate originating from the north. The feeling of resistance is vividly visible on the page.
Of course, the poems written by Lu You and Zhu Shuzhen are both good poems, but the three poems stand side by side, and the worry and anger in these two poems by Zheng Sixiao are even deeper and broader. Creative Background Zheng Sixiao was a patriotic poet in the late Southern Song Dynasty. After the fall of the Southern Song Dynasty, the author lived in seclusion in a monk temple in Suzhou. He never came out to be an official for the rest of his life. He even sat and lay facing the south to show that he did not forget the Song Dynasty. This poem was written in the Southern Song Dynasty. Written after its demise. Appreciation 2
This self-titled poem "Cold Chrysanthemum" embodies Zheng Sixiao's ideological character and broad mind. The poem was written from Wan Xiang: Hundreds of flowers bloom in the bright spring season, but the chrysanthemum stands alone in the harsh wind and frost, not competing with the flowers for beauty. Zheng continued, and the poet wrote that all the flowers had withered, and only the chrysanthemums stood beside the sparse fence, which was endlessly interesting. The "interest" here refers not only to the natural interest of the chrysanthemum, which is proud of the wind and resists the frost, and shines alone, but also the subjective interest of the painter's noble, faithful, honest and contented nature integrated into the image of the chrysanthemum. The poem incorporates Tao Yuanming's meaning of "picking chrysanthemums under the eastern fence" and "there is a true meaning in it". Fan Chengda mentioned in "Preface to the Chrysanthemum Genealogy of Fancun" that "chrysanthemums are used to compare gentlemen", saying: As the years go by, the grass and trees fade away, leaving only the beautiful hair, looking proudly at the wind and dew, this is a secluded place. The conduct of a scholar. "The theme of Fan Chengda's preface and Zheng Sixiao's poem are the same. The sample essay can help us understand the profound connotation of Zheng Sixiao's poetic imagery.
The last two lines of poetry have a deeper meaning. After the chrysanthemums bloom, on the branches Gradually withering, the petals do not wither and fall to the ground, so it is said that "the branches hold the fragrance and die". In the writings of Southern Song writers, the north wind symbolizes the intrusion of the aristocratic ruling group from the north. The poem uses a metaphor to say that it is better to maintain integrity. Death, unwilling to succumb to the Mongolian and Yuan ruling groups, expresses the awe-inspiring righteousness of "I would rather live in pieces than live in ruins", and sincerely expresses the poet's own noble national integrity that will last until death. Zhu Shuzhen's poem "Chrysanthemum" of the Song Dynasty: "I would rather hold the fragrant branches and grow old than dance with the yellow leaves in the autumn wind." Zheng Sixiao slightly added some details to deepen the meaning of the poem, which has a strong flavor of the times. Zheng Sixiao (1241 ~ 1318) in the late Song Dynasty. Poet and painter, he was born in Lianjiang (now part of Fujian). His original name is unknown. After the death of the Song Dynasty, he changed his name to Si Xiao, because Xiao is an integral part of the surname Zhao in the Song Dynasty. , should face south and face north.
He also calls himself a descendant of Jushan, a poet of Jingding, a wild man from Sanwai, an old man from Sanwai, etc. He once sacrificed his life to study in Taixue to take the Bo Xue Hong Ci examination. When the Yuan army invaded the south, they offered resistance strategies to the imperial court, but they were not adopted. Later, he lived in Wuxia and sent food to Baoguo Temple. Zheng Sixiao is good at painting ink orchids. The flowers and leaves are sparse and the roots are not painted, which means that the land in the Song Dynasty has been plundered. There are poetry collections "History of the Heart", "Collected Works of Mr. Zheng Suonan", "Collection of One Hundred and Twenty Illustrated Poems by Suonan Weng", etc.
Zheng Sixiao The geese are in the clouds and the fish are in the water. It’s hard to express this feeling of melancholy. The poplar branches are floating, the peach roots are petite, and I am thinking alone. Alfalfa stalks fill the upper forest, and the westerly wind blows alone in the remnants of the trees. The quilt is forcibly embroidered, the red leaf is covered alone, and the pillow mat is laid for whom. Reminiscing about the Qin Pass alone at night, I listened to the bell but did not sleep with the guests. I am worried about watching the flying snow and hearing the singing of chickens, and flying geese on my back alone in the sky. Who pities the traveler who is fleeting in sorrow? It's a quiet night at Changmen, and the brocade zither is played in resentment. It's a deep night in the Xuanshi group, and I'm fishing alone in the Huangxi River. The sad swallow leaves a red line on its feet, and the annoying Luan shadow is idle and fanned. If you don't see me in the clouds, you will be sad for autumn at night. I never get tired of seeing each other, only Jingting Mountain. There is a girl as delicate as jade, who sleeps alone every night with her embroidered screen, playing her pipa and searching for old songs, while the distant mountains have dark green eyebrows. Raise a glass to invite the bright moon, and make three people in the shadows. We go to and from the mouth of the river to guard empty boats, and when we go around the boats, the moon shines brightly on the river, and the water is cold. The lonely lamp is full of thoughts and sorrow, and rolls up the curtains to look at the moonlit sky and sighs.