original text
South of the Yangtze river
Han Yuefu [Han Dynasty]
Lotus can be picked in Jiangnan, so there is no lotus leaf. Fish are frolicking among the lotus leaves.
Fish hits the lotus leaf east, fish hits the lotus leaf west, fish hits the lotus leaf south, and fish hits the lotus leaf north.
translate
It's the season suitable for picking lotus in the south of the Yangtze River. Lotus leaves surfaced, squeezed, overlapped and fluttered with the wind. Beneath the thick lotus leaves, cheerful fish are constantly playing.
I stayed here for a while, and then I suddenly swam there. I don't know whether it is in the east, west, south or north.
To annotate ...
Han Yuefu: It was originally the official place for collecting poems and making music in the early Han Dynasty, and later it specifically refers to Yuefu poems in the Han Dynasty. During the reign of Emperor Hui of Han Dynasty, there was an official of Yuefu, and there was probably Yuefu at that time. During Liang Wudi's period, Yuefu was expanded to become a special official position, in charge of music during suburban sacrifices, itineraries, court meetings and banquets, and was also responsible for collecting folk songs for rulers to observe customs and habits and understand the thickness of people's feelings. These ballads and other poems written by Yuefu are called Yuefu poems by later generations.
Tian Tian: Lotus leaves are very lush.
Ke: It means "appropriate" and "just right" here.
Make an appreciative comment
This is a lotus picking song, which reflects the scene of lotus picking and the happy mood of lotus pickers. It has a unique flavor in the folk songs of Han Yuefu.
Folk songs draw a beautiful picture with concise and lively language, repetitive tone, beautiful and meaningful artistic conception and fresh and lively style. The endless green lotus leaves, the fish playing freely and happily under the lotus leaves, and the laughter and laughter of strong men, handsome men and beautiful women picking lotus on the boat cutting the lotus pond on the water, the sweet voice, what a beautiful scenery in the south of the Yangtze River! What a quiet and vivid scene! From a cultural point of view, we will find that this is a love song, which implies that young men and women play with each other and pursue love. Look at those fish, swimming around and hiding between lotus leaves. How can you not think of the "big girl walking into the green tent" in the north?
After reading this poem, it seems that a fresh summer is coming, and it is refreshing to think about it. Not only that, we felt the poet's peaceful feelings and our mood became relaxed.
There is not a word about people in the poem, but we seem to hear their voices, see their people, feel a vibrant youth and vitality, feel the inner joy of lotus pickers, and feel the joy and sweetness between young men and women. This is the immortal charm of this folk song.
Distinguish and appreciate
This is a lotus-picking song in Yuefu folk songs of Han Dynasty. The whole poem does not directly describe the happy mood of lotus pickers, but fully reveals their joy through the description of lotus leaves and fish, as if hearing and seeing many lotus pickers singing and laughing with their own eyes, and many young men and lotus pickers are still flirting and courting.
The first two sentences are about people picking lotus leaves and looking at the big round lotus leaves on the water. They are so happy that they can't help but praise them warmly. "Ke" here means just right. "Lotus can be picked in the south of the Yangtze River" means that there are lotus flowers everywhere in the south of the Yangtze River, which is really a good place to pick lotus. "Tian Tian" describes the round and fresh appearance of the lotus leaf, and when it is said, it describes the lotus leaf as full and beautiful, standing upright on the water. "He" is "He Qitian", which is a tone of extreme praise. Only leaves are written here, but we can think of flowers. The flowering period of lotus is from May to July in the summer calendar, and each flower can bloom for two to three days. It opens every morning and closes gradually at three or four o'clock in the afternoon. When Rosty Yi is reopened for 20 days, the lotus can be harvested as raw food, and the fruit (lotus seeds) will mature in July and August. A Qing Dynasty Zhang Yuxi said: "Don't talk about flowers, just talk about leaves;" The leaves are still lovely, and it goes without saying that the flowers are gone. " (Appreciation of Ancient Poetry) The lotus leaves are dense and the lotus flowers are flourishing. Not only is the scenery beautiful, but it also shows that there will be a bumper harvest of lotus seeds, and the lotus pickers are naturally very happy.
People picking lotus flowers on the water will inevitably see the scene in the water. The fish play between lotus leaves is about fish swimming between lotus leaves, just like playing a game. The word "play" describes the quick and happy expression of fish in the water, which is very vivid. Not only fish is written here, but also people's wishes are compared. Lotus pickers paddle boats among the lotus leaves, chasing and playing with each other, just like fish swimming in the water. Their skillful boating, brisk boating, light posture and cheerful mood naturally float before our eyes.
This song has only seven sentences, which are as clear as words. The last four sentences are basically the repetition of the third sentence. The beauty of this song lies in the use of metaphors and puns commonly used in folk songs, which makes the happy feelings of flirting and courtship between men and women very euphemistic and thought-provoking, without the disadvantages of frivolous and vulgar. The whole poem is completed in one go, but it can be divided into two parts in structure: the first three sentences reveal the theme; The last four sentences further show the joyful scene and broad scene when picking lotus. The third sentence in the poem plays a connecting role in the whole poem, connecting the upper and lower without trace. The artistic conception of the poem is fresh and cheerful, with affection for the scenery. The scenery contains people, such as hearing their voices, seeing their people, picturesque, relaxed and happy, showing a scene full of business.
In the classification of Yuefu, this poem belongs to the "harmony song", which is originally a song sung by two people or by everyone, so the four sentences of "fish playing with lotus leaves" may be the harmony song. Therefore, the first two sentences of the poem may be sung by male singers; The third sentence is male and female chorus; The last four sentences should be sung by men and women in groups. In this way, the scene of picking lotus is more vivid and interesting, and the mystery of this song can be better understood.
The juxtaposition of "East", "West", "South" and "North" in the poem is very dull, but this song is so elaborate and vivid, which fully embodies the beauty of repeated singing and endless aftertaste.