The war poems in The Book of Songs mainly reflect the war strategy of the Zhou Dynasty. Since the rise of the Zhou Dynasty, there have been frequent frictions with neighboring northern nomads. At the end of the Zhou Dynasty, the northwest Rongdi invaded frequently, the south rebelled from time to time, and the Shandong governors also made insurrections from time to time, which posed an extremely serious threat to the central dynasty. Although literature, martial arts, success, and prosperity shocked Rong Di, and the Duke of Zhou rebelled, cut Rong, and revived it, it was still attacked and killed by the dog Rong at the foot of Mount Li. The powerful vassal States always coveted the rich land in the capital area and the authority to dominate the world. It can be seen that the serious border invasion and endless conquest became the important social themes of the Zhou Dynasty, and the war was naturally reflected in the poems in detail and vividly.
First of all, let's look at some articles in the poems "Da Ya Chang Wu", "Da Ya Jianghan", "Da Ya Huang Yi" and "Ode". Most of these poems praise the martial arts of the ruling class and upper-level generals. With impassioned words, the "big teeth and long arms" boasted of Julian Waghann's powerful military strength and high morale, and its momentum was breathtaking. "Daya Jianghan" boasts the brilliance of Chen with generous pen and ink, which is almost melodramatic. This "main melody" style is reflected in many similar chapters, mostly praising the martial arts of kings, governors and generals. It is true that this kind of poetry is more out of political needs, or by officials, or polished by historians and musicians. It can be found that war is an opportunity for the ruling class to establish glory and achievements. Poetry that records and reflects the war will definitely highlight the strength of national strength, the glory of victory, the majesty of Julian Waghann and the broadness of martial arts, and form an official perspective to examine the war. War poetry from this perspective presents magnificent and vigorous art.
On the other hand, some poems preserved in Guofeng, such as Guifeng Drumming, Feng Wang Yangzhishui, Qin Rong, Guifeng Dongshan, Guifeng Broken Axe, etc. There is a strong sense of parting and boredom between the lines. Take "Taifeng Drumming" as an example. The background of this poem is that Song, Chen, Cai and Wei jointly crusaded against Zheng, which lasted for four years. The struggle for power and interests between the ruling classes brought disaster to the soldiers who participated in the war: "If you don't go home, you will worry." In the face of the war imposed by the country on foot soldiers, "you live in a lonely place." Lost his horse? "The soldiers are in a bad mood, because the war for which they shed their blood is meaningless in the hearts of the people. War-weariness and fear of death are not due to cowardice, but to the concern for family and wife in the hearts of soldiers, and this tenderness is even more gentle and sad when he will die for an unjust war at any time. " Life and death are generous, and Zi Cheng says. The poem "Hold your hand and grow old with your son", which has been circulated throughout the ages, is now mostly used for wedding wishes, full of joy and warmth. However, when soldiers facing despair and unpredictable life and death think of the scene of their wedding in the desolate suburbs and the vows of eternal love between them and their lovers, how painful and sad they are! "In picked wide xi, not I live in xi. Sorry, I don't believe it. " This almost hysterical wail is heartbreaking and tears are streaming down her face. This kind of poem represents the voices of lower-level soldiers and ordinary people. For them, glory and victory are meaningless in war, but death and displacement can bring fatal blows and incurable pain. This kind of war poems, which originated from the folk, mostly express bitter lovesickness, bitterness, resentment and endless disappointment and sadness. This is a folk standpoint to examine the war, and it presents a sad mood with its sincere, profound and touching feelings.
It is not difficult to understand that the victory of the war is at the expense of countless soldiers, and most of the ordinary soldiers come from ordinary people, and the ordinary people's experience of the war is undoubtedly bitter. Whether it is a just enemy or an unjust war, the war will always bring the people the broken family, the separation of relatives and the death of life. As the ruling class, their eyes are authority and glory, as well as merits and interests. "Once great achievements are made, all bones will wither." Kings and generals pay more attention to the immortal legacy brought by great achievements, and the souls of countless fallen soldiers are only the ladder of their success. The difference and opposition between these two perspectives can be seen. Moreover, this opposition is permanent, not only in the Book of Songs, but also in the war-related literary works of past dynasties. During the prosperous Tang Dynasty, the dream of returning to China was strong and martial. Although there are poems such as Cen Can's "The doctor in the western suburbs of the Northern Court is waiting to seal the army", there are also Du Fu's tearful "Military Vehicle Shop" and "The blood in the border court is like a sea, and there is still a battle in the heart of Emperor Wu", which may be the most perfect interpretation of these two perspectives.
The official war poems are colorful and magnificent, but it is difficult to arouse emotional waves in readers' hearts, while the folk war poems are simple and sincere, which can better reflect the true face of ancient wars and let readers appreciate the dangers and cruelty of wars. In this position, the themes of war-weariness and homesickness, defending the people and homesickness also profoundly influenced the creation of war poems and frontier poems in later generations. Comparing and examining the war poems in The Book of Songs and the poems about battles in later generations from these two different angles, I believe there will be different feelings and tastes.
War poems in the prosperous Tang Dynasty
In the foreign wars in Tang Dynasty, many literati participated in them, had personal experience of frontier fortress and military life, obeyed the army instead of writing, wrote poems to describe the desolate frontier fortress scenery, praised the brave spirit of soldiers, or cursed the disasters brought about by the war, so frontier fortress poets came into being. The famous poet Cen Can wrote a masterpiece The Journey to the West:
Don't you see: walking along the snow by the sea,
Sand in the desert, yellow flies to heaven. On the night of the ninth month, there was a cold wind blowing in the wheel tower.
And valleys, full of broken boulders like pecking measures, down, forward, with the wind.
Despite the gray grass, Tatar horses are plump, and on the west side of Jinshan, smoke and dust gather.
General of China's army, start your battle! Wear your armor all night,
Marching in the middle of the night, the sharp wind tip cuts the face like a knife.
Sweat from the snow steamed on horseback, freezing the pattern of five-flowered coins.
Your challenge from the camp, from the ink bottle of ice, has chilled the barbarian leader.
You will no longer need a real fight! We are waiting for the news of victory in Xiguan! !
The poems "Zoumachuan", "Luntai", "Jinshan" and "Automobile Market" are all common place names in the north or the western regions. The code used as a place name here is not a real reference. You don't have to seek truth when reading poetry, you just need to understand poetry. At the beginning of this poem, it vividly depicts the harsh environment in the western regions where clouds are surging and sand is flying. Xiongnu (representing the powerful northern nation) attacked, showing signs of chaos everywhere; The general led his troops to the battlefield to meet the enemy. At night, marching weapons collide with each other. Although the cold wind was like a knife, the snow-covered streaky horse was still sweating and soon became ice. Drafted a campaign (gauntlet) for the enemy in the tent, and the ink in the inkstone was frozen into ice before it was finished. Such a hard-working and brave army will definitely make the enemy dare not fight; Then let's wait for Simon, the automobile engineer, to win! The optimistic and heroic spirit expressed in the poem is the embodiment of the spirit of the prosperous Tang Dynasty. An old song by Li Jie is also famous:
During the day, the beacon tower climbing the mountain observes and gives an alarm, and at night, the horse leads the horse to the riverside.
The dark wind blew bursts of sounds, like the pipa of a princess in the Han Dynasty, full of hidden grievances.
Camp in Wan Li without battlements until the thick sky joins the vast desert in the snow.
The sorrowful Hu Yanyan flew through the air, and HUS soldiers were all in tears.
It is said that Yumenguan has blocked the road, so the soldiers can only follow the general around.
The bones of death are buried in the wilderness every year, and only grapes from the western regions are sent to the Han people.
During the day, the army will climb the mountain to watch the beacon warning, and at dusk, they will go to Jiaohe (in Turpan, Xinjiang, this generation has water, which is not true) to drink horses. Diao Dou is a kind of copper pot, which is used for cooking during the day and working at night. Soldiers carrying Diao Dou trudged through the dark sand. At this time, it must be full of bitterness to think of the pipa music played by the princess who married Wusun Wang from this road in the Han Dynasty. Camping in a deserted place for the night, the heavy snow that pervades the world floats and connects with the desert in the distance. In the autumn night, the cries of geese flying south were mournful, and Hu Bing, one of the warring parties, could not bear this hard life and shed tears. It is said that the imperial court has issued an order not to retreat, so it can only fight to the death with the general (an official who gets off lightly). Yumen is sealed, that is, it is not allowed to retreat into Yumen Pass. Using the allusions in Historical Records Biography of Dawan, Li Guangli, the general of the Second Division, attacked Dawan and was defeated. He retreated to Dunhuang and asked the imperial court to retreat. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty "was furious and ordered (the emissary) to block Yumen, saying: Those who dare to enter will be cut!" Nine times out of ten, I died in battle. Every year, countless people leave their bones in a foreign land. The only result was that grapes (Pu Tao) were introduced into the Central Plains from the western regions for the rich to enjoy. Although there is sadness in the poem, the tone is still high and enterprising.
War is cruel. In 7 14 A.D., there was a great war between Tang Jun and Tubo near Lintaolong Castle, and tens of thousands of Tubo people were killed or injured. Wang Changling's "Xia Sai Qu" wrote about this war:
Horses lead horses to drink across the river, the wind is biting, and the autumn wind is like a sword.
The sunset on the vast battlefield has not yet fallen, and I saw Lintao County in the distance in the dark.
The Great Wall once fought a fierce battle, saying that the frontier soldiers were in high spirits.
Since ancient times, there have been sandstorms, bones everywhere and weeds everywhere.
Many years after the war, the battlefield was still bleak and desolate, with long yellow dust and messy wormwood scattered among them and forgotten forever. No matter which side the deceased belongs to, it is a sad tragedy for him and his family.
War poems:
Border songs
Lulun
In the faint moonlight, geese fly high,
Run away alone at night.
If you want to travel light,
The snow is full of bows and knives.
[Notes]
1. Xia Sai: an ancient frontier fortress military song.
2. Moonlight: There is no moonlight.
3. Khan: the leader of Xiongnu. This refers to the supreme commander of the invaders.
4. escape: escape.
5. Will: Leadership.
6. Qingqi: Qingqi and Fast Cavalry.
7.11: Catch up.
[Brief analysis]
This is the third poem in Lulun's "Xia Sai Qu" series. Lu Lun used to be a marshal judge of the shogunate, and he had a good understanding of the life of soldiers. Poetry describing this life is more substantial and powerful in style. This poem is about the heroic feat of the general preparing to lead his troops in pursuit of the enemy on a snowy night.
The first two sentences are about the enemy fleeing. "In the bright moonlight, geese are soaring", and the moon is covered by clouds and dark. Su Yan started up and flew high. "Chief Tatar fled in the dark". On this unusual night with high black wind, the enemy sneaked away. "Khan" originally refers to the supreme ruler of Xiongnu, and here refers to the invaders of Qidan and other nationalities who often invaded the south at that time.
The last two sentences describe the general preparing to chase the enemy, which is unusual. "And we chase it, and the horse is lightly burdened." The general found that the enemy had absconded and wanted to lead the light cavalry to pursue it; Just as we were about to leave, there was a heavy snow, and in an instant the bow and knife were covered with snowflakes. The last sentence "and the burden of snow on our bows and swords" is a description of the cold scene, highlighting the hardships of fighting and the brave spirit of soldiers.
This poem blends scenes. The enemy troops fled in the scene of "wild geese flying in the bright moonlight", and the general was prepared to pursue them in the scene of "snow burden on our bow and our sword". The atmosphere of running away and chasing is effectively rendered. The whole poem does not describe the process of chasing the enemy in the snow, nor does it directly describe the fierce battle scenes, but it leaves a very rich imagination space for people.
About the author: Lu Lun (748-800) was born in Hebangpu (now Yongji County, Shanxi Province). Poets in Tang Dynasty.