Far above the Yellow River, among the white clouds, is an isolated city called Wanren Mountain.
Why should the Qiang flute blame the willows? The spring breeze does not pass through Yumen Pass.
Translation:
Looking as far as the eye can see, the Yellow River is getting farther and farther away, as if it is rushing among the white clouds. In the upper reaches of the Yellow River, among the tens of thousands of mountains, an isolated city stands at Yumen Pass. There, it seemed lonely and lonely.
Why use the Qiang flute to play the sad willow song to complain that the spring is not coming? It turns out that the spring breeze cannot blow in the Yumenguan area!
Notes:
Liangzhou Ci: also known as "Crossing the Fortress". Lyrics for a popular song at the time, "Liangzhou". Guo Maoqian's "Modern Songs and Lyrics" in Volume 79 of "Anthology of Yuefu Poems" contains "Liangzhou Song" and quotes from "Le Yuan" as saying: ""Liangzhou" is a palace tune played by Guo Zhiyun, the governor of Central and Western Liang Prefecture in the Kaiyuan Dynasty." Liangzhou , belonging to Longyou Road in the Tang Dynasty, and its governance was in Guzang County (now Liangzhou District, Wuwei City, Gansu Province).
Far above: looking far to the west. The Yellow River is far up: looking at the source of the Yellow River. The word "river" is made of "sand", and the word "far" is made of "straight".
Gucheng: refers to a lonely border guarding castle. Ren: An ancient unit of length. One Ren is equivalent to seven or eight feet (approximately 213 centimeters or 264 centimeters).
Qiang flute: It is a horizontal wind instrument. The Qiang flute had been introduced to Gansu, Sichuan and other places in the Han Dynasty and was a common instrument on the frontier fortresses in the Tang Dynasty. Why: Why bother. Willow: "Breaking Willow". Willows are often used as a metaphor for farewell in ancient poems.
Degree: I have blown it. Yumen Pass: Built by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, it was named after the jade imported from the Western Regions passed here. The former site is located in the small Fangpan City northwest of Dunhuang, Gansu Province. It was an important route to the Western Regions in ancient times. During the Six Dynasties, the pass site was moved eastward and is now near the Anxi Twin Towers.
Creative background:
According to Wang Zhihuan’s epitaph, we know that Wang Zhihuan resigned from office in the 14th year of Emperor Xuanzong’s reign (726) and lived a free life for fifteen years. "Two Poems of Liangzhou" is believed to date from the fifteenth year of his resignation from office, that is, from the fifteenth year of Kaiyuan (727) to the twenty-ninth year (741).
Appreciation:
It depicts the special feeling of overlooking the Yellow River from a special perspective. It also shows the magnificent and desolate scenery in the frontier area, which is tragic and desolate, exuding a sense of generosity. The bitter cold at the frontier fortress reflects the sorrow of the soldiers guarding the border who cannot return to their hometown. This sorrow is not depressing, but heroic and broad.
About the author:
Wang Zhihuan (688-742), a poet of the Tang Dynasty. His courtesy name was Jiling, his ancestral home was Jinyang (now Taiyuan, Shanxi), and his great ancestor moved to Jiang (now Jiangxian, Shanxi). He pays attention to loyalty, is bold and unrestrained, and often sings sad songs while fencing. Many of his poems were composed and sung by the musicians of the time, and he was famous for his ability to describe the scenery of the frontier fortress. The wording is very simple and the setting is extremely profound. There are only six poems handed down from generation to generation.