From "Ode to History·Part 1" by Zuo Si, a poet of the Western Jin Dynasty
A weak crown plays a soft hand, and a distinguished scholar reads the group of books.
He wrote a treatise on "Guo Qin" and a poem on "Zixu".
The border town screams bitterly, and the feathers fly to Kyoto.
Although I am not a warrior in armor, I read "Rangju" in the past.
The long whistle stirs the breeze, and the ambition is as if there is no Soochow.
A lead knife is expensive to cut, but the dream will be a good one.
On the left, you can see Jiangxi and Xiang, and on your right, you can see the Qiang and Hu.
Those who have achieved great success will not be rewarded with titles, and they will return to their fields and huts with long bows.
Appreciation
Zuo Si was an outstanding writer in the Taikang period of the Western Jin Dynasty (280-289). His poetry achievements are very high. "Sandu Fu" made "Luoyang paper expensive", and his poems were considered by Xie Lingyun to be "incomparable between ancient and modern times", and Zhong Rong's "Shipin" was also listed as "top grade". "Eight Poems in Ode to History" is the representative work of Zuo Si's poetry, so Liu Xie said: "It is outstanding in "Ode to History" ("Wen Xin Diao Long·Cai Lue").
The poem "Ode to History" did not begin with Zuo Si. In the early years of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Ban Gu had a poem "Ode to History". However, this poem was written only to "summarize the biography without any embellishment", while Zuo Si's poem "Ode to History" did not summarize certain historical events and characters. , but to express our feelings. Therefore, He Zhuo said: "The title "Ode to History" is actually a chant of love." He also said: "Those who chant history only praise the stories and praise them. They summarize the biography without adding any embellishments. This is the correct style. Taichong He thinks that Zuo Si's "Ode to History" is a variant of "Ode to History" poetry, but in fact it is a "Ode to History" poem. new developments.
Zuo Si's poem "Ode to History" expresses the poet's own ambitions. However, due to the restrictions of the clan system, talented people from poor families at that time had difficulty fulfilling their ambitions, so they had no choice but to retreat and live alone and become a "master" who was poor and contented. This group of poems shows the poet's change process from actively participating in the world to passively avoiding it. This is the grievance of a frustrated and idealistic and talented intellectual in feudal society.
The first poem writes about one's own talents and desires, which can be regarded as the preface to this group of poems. In the first four sentences, write your own erudite essay. "Weak Guan Nong Rou Han" means that when he was twenty years old, he was good at writing and writing. "Zhuo Nao reads a lot of books", which means that he has read a lot of books and has outstanding talents. These two sentences are actually complementary, which means: When I was twenty years old, I was already outstanding in learning. I was not only good at writing, but also well-read. Du Fu's poem says: "Reading thousands of volumes, writing is like a spirit" ("Twenty-two Rhymes to Wei Zuocheng"). It is precisely because Zuo Si has read a lot of books that he is good at writing and can "write "Guo Qin" accurately. Fu imitates "Zixu". That is, when writing essays, "Guo Qin Lun" is used as a model, and when writing poems, "Zixu Fu" is used as a model. "On Guo Qin", written by Jia Yi of the Western Han Dynasty, is a famous piece of political theory; "Zixu Fu", written by Sima Xiangru of the Western Han Dynasty, is a famous piece of Fu. Zuo Si's writings and poems used their works as examples to illustrate his knowledge and talents, which was quite conceited.
"The border town screams bitterly," four sentences, writing that he is also knowledgeable in military matters. "Mingdi" is the signal for battle. There was a war on the border, and urgent documents quickly reached the capital. Here, it may refer to the war against the Xianbei Shunengji Department and Sun Hao in 279 AD. "Book of Jin: Chronicles of Emperor Wu": "In the first month of the spring of the fifth year of (Xianning) (279), Shuai Shunengji captured Liangzhou. Yi Chou sent Ma Long, the prefect of Wuwei, to attack the captives. ... In November, a large-scale attack was carried out. In the twelfth month of Wu... Ma Long attacked the rebels and defeated them, killing them, and Liangzhou was in peace. "The war broke out. Although the poet was not a soldier, he had read military books such as "Sima Ranju's Art of War". He believed that he not only had literary talents, but also military skills. When the war broke out, he should serve the country.
"The long roar stirs up the breeze" four sentences, write your own ambitions and wishes. The poet roared loudly, the whistle stirred in the breeze, and his ambition was so heroic that Soochow was not in his eyes. He thought that even a dull lead knife would be useful for cutting. Even if his talents were inferior, he would still dream of using his talents to realize his "good intentions" (good wishes). As for what the poet's "good picture" is, the four sentences "Zuo Xiao and Cheng Jiang and Xiang" give a specific answer: eliminate the Soochow in the southeast and pacify the Qiang and Hu in the northwest. After his success, he was not rewarded and returned to the countryside. The first two sentences express the meaning of "Southern Yi Ju Wu, Northern Wei Rong Di" in Emperor Wu of Jin Dynasty's "Edict to Defeat Wu". The last two sentences are exactly the spirit of Lu Zhonglian that he praised: "Success and shame are rewarded, and high integrity is outstanding." In terms of emotions, the former is majestic and the latter is indifferent. This intricate emotion is unified and expresses the poet's both. A spirit that desires to make achievements but is not greedy for wealth.
It should also be mentioned that the "Eight Poems of Ode to History" can be determined based on the sentences "The long roar stimulates the breeze, and the ambition is as if there is no Soochow", "The sky on the left is clearing the Jiangxiang, and the right is looking on the Qiang and Hu." era of writing. Emperor Wu of the Jin Dynasty launched a large-scale attack on Wu in November of 279 AD (the fifth year of Xianning). In March of 280 AD (the first year of Taikang), Sun Hao surrendered. In the first month of AD 279 (the fifth year of Xianning), he attacked the Xianbei Shunengji Department and defeated it in December. Therefore, He Zhuo believes that "the poem was written during the time of Emperor Wu, so it is called 'Eastern Wu'. Liangzhou was frequently disturbed, so the following text also says: 'Ding Qiang Hu'". (Volume 46 of "Yimen Shuji") It can be seen that the eight poems in "Ode to History" were written before 279 AD (the fifth year of Xianning).