Zuo Qiuming's "Zuo Zhuan·The Ninth Year of Chenggong" by Zuo Qiuming of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty.
From "Singing Cicadas in Prison" by King Luo Bin of the Tang Dynasty, original text:
The west of the forbidden wall of Yu Jin Palace is where the law hall is located, and there are several ancient locust trees. Although the business can be seen, it is the same ancient tree as Zhongwen of the Yin Dynasty; and the lawsuit is here, that is, the Gantang of Zhou Zhaobo. Every evening when the sun shines in the low shade, the autumn cicadas are scattered, making a quiet sound, and there is something to taste and hear. How can people's hearts be different from those in the past? Is it sad to hear it in front of you? Sigh, the sound is used to move the face, and the virtue is used to symbolize the virtuous.
Therefore, cleansing one's body reveals the noble character of a gentleman; shedding one's skin reveals the spiritual appearance of an immortal. When the time comes, follow the number of yin and yang; respond to the changes in time, and examine the opportunities to use them. If you have wide-open eyes, don't blind your vision because of the faintness of the Tao; if you have wings that are thin, don't let the vulgar thickness obscure your true vision. Singing the breeze of the trees, the beauty is heavenly; Drinking the falling dew of high autumn, it is clear and fearful of others. The servant lost his way and encountered difficulties and dangers, and encountered the disaster of the times. Don't be sad but complain about yourself, and decline before you fall. Hearing the clatter of crickets, he realizes that he has been redressed; seeing the shadow of a praying mantis hugging him, he is afraid of the crisis. I embellished poems based on my feelings to inform all my friends. The sentiments of common people echo along with things, and I mourn the falling of weak feathers; the way is known to others, and I pity the loneliness of the remaining sounds. It's not about writing and ink, it replaces the sorrowful clouds.
Don’t be sad but complain about yourself, and decline before you fall. Hearing the clatter of crickets, he realizes that he has been redressed; seeing the shadow of a praying mantis hugging him, he is afraid of the crisis. I embellished poems based on my feelings to inform all my friends. The sentiments of common people echo along with things, and I mourn the falling of weak feathers; the way is known to others, and I pity the loneliness of the remaining sounds. It's not about writing and ink, it replaces the sorrowful clouds.
The cicadas sing in the west, and the guests in the south are deep in thought. (Ke Si Shen's first work: Ke Si Invasion)
The shadow with the mysterious temples came to sing to the white head. (Nakan's first work: unbearable)
It is difficult to fly in due to the heavy dew, and it is easy to sink due to the strong wind.
No one believes in Gao Jie, who can express his sincerity?
Translation:
Beyond the west wall of the cell where I was imprisoned was the court hall where cases were heard. There were several ancient locust trees there. Although we can see that they are full of vitality, they are the same as the locust trees seen by Yin Zhongwen of the Eastern Jin Dynasty; but the court hearing is here, just like Zhao Bo in the Zhou Dynasty patrolling to settle cases under the locust tree. Every evening the sun rays slant and the cicadas sing, making a soft and quiet sound, which is more sad and sad than what I have heard before.
Is it because the mood is different from before, or is the sound of insects sadder than before? Alas, the sound of cicadas is enough to move people, and the virtues of cicadas are enough to symbolize virtuous people. Therefore, its integrity and trustworthiness can be said to be the noble virtues of a gentleman; after it sheds its skin, it has the wonderful appearance of becoming a fairy and ascending to the fairyland. Wait for the season to come and follow the laws of nature; adapt to seasonal changes and discern the timing of seclusion and activity.
If you have eyes, keep them wide open, and don’t lose sight of them because the road is dark; if you have wings, you can fly high, but you are content to be indifferent, and don’t change your nature because of the turbidity of the world. Singing in the wind on a tall tree, the posture and sound are really beautiful. Drinking the dew under the sky in late autumn, I am so pure that I am afraid of being known. I am in a difficult situation, suffering and imprisoned. Even if I am not sad, I always feel sorry for myself, like a leaf that has withered before it withers.
When I heard the sound of cicadas chirping, I thought that the memorial to rehabilitate Xue had been submitted; but when I saw the shadow of a mantis trying to catch the cicadas, I worried that my danger had not yet been eliminated. I was moved by the scene and felt deeply, so I wrote it into a poem and presented it to all my close friends. I hope that my situation can respond to the sign of the cicada, sympathize with my wandering situation like a tiny autumn cicada, tell it to everyone, and sympathize with the lonely mood of my final cry. This is not considered a formal article, just a chat to relieve my worries.
In late autumn, the cicadas keep chirping, and the sound of the cicadas carries my prisoner’s melancholy to a distant place.
How can I endure this autumn cicada flapping its black wings and chanting endlessly at my gray hair?
The autumn dew is so heavy that even if the cicada spreads its wings, it is difficult for it to fly high. The cold wind can easily drown out its song.
Who can believe that Qiu Chan is so honest and upright? Who can redress the injustice for me, an innocent and upright person?
Appreciation:
"Singing Cicadas in Prison" is a representative poem by Luo Binwang, a writer of the Tang Dynasty. This poem was written in times of adversity. The author sings about the noble character of the cicada. He uses the cicada to compare himself to others, to embody his emotions in things, and to place his feelings in the distance. The cicada and the human being are integrated into one body. It expresses how the poet's noble character is "suffering from the embarrassment of the times." The feeling of sadness and sorrow expresses the desire to identify the innocent and redress the injustice.
"The cicadas sing in the west, and the guests in the south are thinking deeply." It means that the constant sound of cicadas in autumn caused the poet who was in jail to have endless sorrow. The poet feels emotional when he touches the scenery, and the emotion arises from the scenery. Where does the emotion come from? It's from hearing the sound of cicadas. The poem begins with the contrast between excitement and worry, contrasting the sound of cicadas with the thoughts of sorrow, reflecting each other, and the writing is natural and steady and dignified. That is to say, when chanting things, things must come first. The first sentence is about cicada, and the second sentence is about yourself. Chanting objects is not the original intention, borrowing objects to express emotions is the purpose. Xilu: refers to autumn.
Nanguan: The hat of Chu State, referring to prisoners. This refers to the poet himself. "Zuo Zhuan: The Ninth Year of Chenggong" records: "The Marquis of Jin looked at Zhong Yi at the military mansion and asked him: 'Who is the most sincere person in Nan Guan?' One of the officials said to him: 'He is a prisoner of Chu who was offered to the people of Zheng. '"
Translation: Jin Jinggong inspected the military warehouse and saw Zhong Yi. The Marquis of Jin asked: "Who is the prisoner wearing the southern hat?" The official replied: "This is the prisoner of Chu who was dedicated by the people of Zheng."
Because the state of Chu is in the south, Nan Guanyi The word was born from this. Later generations borrowed it to refer to prisoners. The two lines of the first couplet connect naturally and are natural.
When writing about cicadas, grasp two points: the time is autumn, and the movements are singing; when writing about people, grasp three points: identity is a prisoner, psychological activity is sorrow, and the degree of sorrow is deep.