Two Poems by Wang Zhaojun (seventeen years old) and Bai Juyi in Tang Dynasty
His face was covered with beard and wind, his eyebrows were broken and his face was red.
Sad, hard and haggard, but now it seems to be drawing.
China's envoy replied, when will gold redeem the moth?
If the king asks for the color of his concubine, it's better not to be as good as when he was in the palace.
Translation:
The face is covered with dust, the wind and fog are beating, the eyebrows have been worn off, and the face is faded and gaunt. I have worked hard and suffered, but now I end up drawing and being pitied.
The envoys sent by China have come back with news, hoping to redeem her and restore her freedom as soon as possible. If the king asks about her appearance, please don't say that she is as haggard as when she was in the palace.
Appreciation of two poems by Wang Zhaojun (seventeen years old):
1, Bai Juyi used symbols and metaphors in his poems, symbolizing and metaphor Wang Zhaojun's displacement and dusty hardships with sand and hair all over his face. This symbolism expresses abstract emotions and situations with concrete images and imagery, which makes poetry more vivid and appealing.
Bai Juyi expressed his deep sympathy for the unfortunate by describing Wang Zhaojun's sadness, toil and fatigue in his poems. This kind of sympathy is not superficial pity, but the pain and struggle that goes deep into Wang Zhaojun's heart. This popular description enables readers to better understand Wang Zhaojun's situation and mood.
3. Bai Juyi expressed his condemnation of the king's fatuity and ignorance by imagining the image of Wang Zhaojun in the painting. This kind of condemnation is not a direct accusation, but is expressed by hints and innuendos, which makes poetry more subtle and profound.
4. Bai Juyi expressed his dissatisfaction and protest that Wang Zhaojun was not treated fairly by imagining the scene of China's envoy's reply. This kind of protest is not a direct slogan, but is expressed through fiction and imagination, which makes poetry more artistic and aesthetic.
Bai Juyi expressed his pursuit of freedom, equality, dignity and happiness by describing when gold was redeemed from beauty. This pursuit is not only a concern for Wang Zhaojun's personal fate, but also a reflection and exploration of the whole society and mankind.