Original text:
A tree, a tree
Stand apart from each other
Wind and air
Tell them the distance
But under the cover of soil,
Their roots have been elongated.
In the unseen depths
They tangled their roots together.
Creative background:
The tree was written in the spring of 1940. At this time, War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression has been going on for more than two years, and is turning into a difficult stalemate stage. This national war is giving all the people a baptism, making their souls undergo severe tempering in the war and gradually moving towards spiritual awakening. Ai Qing is deeply aware of the trend of the times and the pulse of society, and realizes that the national awakening has arrived.
This poem describes a natural phenomenon on the surface; Broadly speaking, this poem may be a description and praise of friendship, a feeling and interpretation of life, and a yearning and reflection on free life. It is precisely because of the diversity of images that this poem has a thought-provoking charm.