This is a famous "traveler's poem", which tells the tragic experience of a soldier who has been on a long-term expedition abroad and is homesick and unable to return. However, in the poem, "The bond between life and death is broad, and I will talk to my son; I will hold my son's hand and grow old together with my son." has become an eternal song to praise love, but has lost the original meaning of the poem.
There have always been three common theories about the background of this poem. One theory is that in the fourth year of Duke Yin of Lu (719 BC), Zhouxu, the Duke of Wei (mentioned earlier in "Yan Yan") united Song, Chen and Cai to attack Zheng.
"Preface to Mao's Poems" puts forward this statement, and "Zuo Zhuan·Yin Gong Four Years" records the historical facts of Zhouxu's attack on Zheng.
As mentioned earlier, Zhouxu killed his brother Wei Huangong and usurped the throne. After Zhouxu came to power, in order to establish his authority, he began to entangle other countries in provoking wars. In the end, he did not get any benefits, but it suffered for the soldiers who defended the country, causing them to be away from home for many years and unable to return home.
In one year, Weiguo attacked Zheng twice in summer and autumn. He failed to win and refused to retreat. Soldiers have been stationed back and forth between Chen and Song. During the second expedition against Zheng, the guards harvested Zheng's crops in order to prepare for their long-term garrison.
Another theory is that in the twelfth year of Duke Xuangong of Lu (597 BC), Duke Mu of Wei sent troops to rescue Chen. This is also recorded in the "Spring and Autumn Annals: The 20th Year of Duke Xuangong". Qing Dynasty scholar Yao Jiheng held this view in "General Theory of the Book of Songs" and believed that the statement in "Mao's Preface to Poems" was untenable. "There are six inconsistencies with the Classics" and there are too many doubts. Many people today agree with Yao's statement.
There is another theory that in the sixth year of Yin Gong (171 BC), there was a conflict between the Chen State and the Song State, and the Wei State sent troops to mediate in an attempt to resolve the dispute between the two countries. Judging from the words "Ping Chen and Song" in the poem, it is obviously not an alliance with the Song Dynasty to attack other countries, so this statement may be closer to the original meaning of the poem.
No matter which statement is more accurate, what is certain is that this poem describes the hardships of soldiers who are away at war and unable to return home.
Back to the poem itself. The first verse, "Beat the drums and boring them, and actively use the troops. I will go south alone in the city of Tuguo." The sound of the drums is loud, and the soldiers are enthusiastically practicing wielding their swords. A large group of people stayed at home to serve in the construction of Caocheng, and only I was sent to fight in the south.
Boring, the sound of drums; its boring, that is, "boring and boring". Enthusiastic, continuous words in two voices, still encouraging. Soldiers, weapons, swords and guns, etc.; here refers to carrying weapons to fight.
Tuguo, served in the capital; Cao, the name of the Weiguo town, was located in the southeast of Huaxian County, Henan Province. "Tu" and "city" are both verbs. "Tu" means "to serve" and "city" means "to build a city."
The second section, "Follow Sun Zi Zhong, Chen and Song are at peace. If I don't return, I will be worried." (I) followed Sun Zi Zhong to mediate the conflict between Chen and Song. (But who knew) they wouldn’t let us go back, which made me worried.
Sun Tzu Zhong, Shiqing of the Song Dynasty, also known as Gongsun Wenzhong, also known as Zizhong, was a general in the Southern Expedition of the Song Dynasty. Ping: Harmony means harmony between the two countries. It means saving Chen to reconcile the relationship between Chen and Song.
If you don’t want me to go home, the word order is reversed, that is, “If you don’t want me to go home”, you won’t let me go home.
Perhaps the conflict between Chen and Song could not be resolved, or perhaps the three countries had a new alliance. In short, "I" have no way to go home.
The third section, "Love lives in the love place? Love loses its horse? Looking for it? Under the forest." Where to live and where to stay? Where did you lose your horse? Where was it found again? At the foot of the mountains and forests.
爰 (yuán), the original pronunciation word, still means "so"; Mr. Liushahe explained that it is also common to use "yu yan" together. Mourning, loss, here refers to running away.
After a war, they were displaced and had no place to breathe. They even lost their horses and it took them a long time to find them. The cruelty of war is vividly displayed on the page.
Section 4, "The bond between life and death is broad, I said it to you. Hold your hand and grow old with me." "Life and death will never be separated." I have made a promise with you. (I want to) hold your hand and grow old with you.
Where is it? Qi Kuo means to gather and disperse; Qi means to unite; Kuo means to leave; here is a compound word with a partial meaning, and the emphasis is on "Qi", which refers to the reunion of two people. In our spoken language today, such words still often appear, such as "good or bad", which emphasize "good" rather than "bad". Cheng said, Cheng Yan also, here refers to the strict oath.
This paragraph is so famous that it doesn’t need much explanation at all. While the man was fighting abroad, he thought of his wife and the promise he had made to her, and he felt filled with emotion.
Some people also believe that these four sentences were spoken by a man to his comrades who depended on each other for life and death. Does this understanding make sense? It really makes sense. Because soldiers at that time were likely to fight until their hair turned gray, and both warring parties would generally follow the principle of "no serious injuries, no capture" (do not harm people who have been seriously injured, do not capture people with two colors of hair, It is also a humanitarian agreement to take the gray-haired old people as prisoners).
Wars in the Spring and Autumn Period were not yet aimed at large-scale destruction. Most of them would be "stopped", as long as the defeated party admitted its mistakes.
The cruelty of the ancient military service system did not improve much even in the Han Dynasty.
In the ancient Yuefu poem "Fifteen Years of Military Expeditions" in the Han Dynasty, it is mentioned that "Fifteen years of military service, you will not be able to return home until you are eighty years old." It tells the story of a soldier who joined the army at the age of fifteen and did not return to his hometown until he was eighty years old. . Although the statement of "eighty" is a bit exaggerated, it also shows the horror of the ancient military service system.
Verse 5, "I can't live without you. I can't live without you. I can't believe in you." Alas, I have been away from home for too long, so I can't meet (with you). Alas, it is too far away for me to fulfill my promise.
Yu Cai, that is, "Xu Cai", is similar to today's "Ouch". Live, borrowed as "丶", to meet. There is an article in "The Gentleman in Service" that says "What time can you go home to reunite?" Xun, the guise of "滕", means long time ago. "Faith" refers to the ancient word "Strength", which means that ambition cannot be fulfilled; the other refers to "faithfulness" in oaths.
The 31st chapter of the Book of Songs, the 031st chapter in total.