"Crossing the Lingding Ocean"
Wen Tianxiang (Southern Song Dynasty)
After a hard encounter, only a few stars were scattered around.
The mountains and rivers are broken and the wind flutters, and the life experience is ups and downs.
Afraid to say panic on the beach, sigh alone in the ocean.
Who has never died since ancient times? Keep your loyalty to reflect history.
Translation:
The reason for my suffering was that I was proficient in the scriptures and obtained an official position.
I spent four years on the desolate battlefield. Spring and Autumn.
Mountains and rivers are broken like catkins blown away by the wind,
A life of turmoil is like duckweed beaten by rain.
Complaining about fear on the beach of fear,
Being lonely and alone on the lonely ocean.
Who can live forever since ancient times?
After my death, I will leave behind this red heart of loyal service to the country and let it shine in the annals of history forever.
Background of the poem
In the first month of 1279, the Yuan army left the Pearl River Estuary and attacked Yashan, the last stronghold of the Southern Song Dynasty (in today's Nanhai, Xinhui, Guangdong). Wen Tianxiang was escorted along with him. The ship passed Lingding Yang (Lingding Yang is at the mouth of the Pearl River in the south of Zhongshan, Guangdong, south of Zhongshan City. There is Lingding Mountain by the sea, and the sea below the mountain is called Lingding Yang). Marshal Zhang Hongfan of the Yuan Army forced Wen Tianxiang to surrender the Song Army Commander Zhang Shijie who was holding on to Yashan. , Wen Tianxiang wrote this poem to express his ambition and sternly refuse. Wen Tianxiang's own note recorded in the "Guidebook" said: "On the last day of last month, Marshal Zhang ordered Marshal Li to cross the ship and asked him to write a letter to Zhang Shaobao to surrender. Then he said to him: 'I can't save my parents by myself. Is it okay to teach people to carry their parents on their backs? "Li Buqiang wrote this poem to reach Zhang, but he said that "good people are good at poetry", but they can't force it."
Annotation on Poetry
p>"Hard work" sentence: recalls the early life and various hardships since becoming an official. Encounter means to be selected by the imperial court; Qiyijing means to pass the imperial examination and get an official position because of proficiency in a certain scripture. The imperial examination system of the Song Dynasty tested the meaning of classics and selected one of the Five Classics (Yi, Shi, Shu, Rites, and Spring and Autumn). In the fourth year of Baoyou's reign (1256), Emperor Lizong of the Song Dynasty, Wen Tianxiang became the first Jinshi and later became the prime minister. Gang Ge Liao Luo: Liao Luo means deserted and sparse. This means that the war between the Song and Yuan Dynasties is coming to an end. The Southern Song Dynasty died this year (1279) and was unable to resist at this time. The four-week star: The Zhou star is the Sui star. The Sui star circulates in the sky for twelve years, so the Zhou star refers to the twelve years. The four stars are forty-eight years. Wen Tianxiang was forty-four when he wrote this poem. The four stars here are in whole numbers. Most of the old annotations refer to the four years since Wen Tianxiang responded to the imperial edict of King Qin in 1275. In fact, the first two sentences of this poem should be understood together, as they are the poet's review of his life experiences.
"Mountains and rivers" sentence: refers to the fact that the national situation and personal destiny are irreversible. Panic Beach: In today's Wan'an County, Jiangxi Province, the water flow is very fast, and it is one of the eighteen beaches in Ganjiang River, the most dangerous one. In the second year of Jingyan's reign (1277), Emperor Ruizong of the Song Dynasty, Wen Tianxiang was defeated in Kongqian, Jiangxi Province, and retreated to Fujian via the panic beach.
"Ling Ding" sentence: Lamenting the current situation and being alone and helpless. After the poet was captured, he was imprisoned in a warship in Lingding Ocean. History: Annals of History. Before the invention of paper, bamboo slips were used to record events. When making bamboo slips of seven-character poems, the bamboo must be roasted with fire to remove the sweat (moisture), so it is called history.
The poet reviews his life in one or two sentences, but due to space limitations, the way it is written is that Emperor Shizu of the Yuan Dynasty cites two events, one at the beginning and the other at the end, to sum up the rest. The four sentences in the middle closely follow "There are few battles" and clearly express the author's understanding of the current situation: the country is in a precarious situation, the tragedy of national subjugation is inevitable, and it is even more difficult to talk about personal destiny. But in the face of such great changes, the poet did not think about his personal way out and future, but his deep regret that he could not win a military victory and reverse the situation two years ago. At the same time, I also felt particularly sad about my isolation and helplessness. Judging from the conception of the whole poem, the first six sentences exaggerate the atmosphere of sadness, anger and hardship to the extreme. The next two sentences change the mood from sadness and anger to excitement, from depression to high pitch. "Since ancient times, no one has died, and his loyalty will be reflected in history." Throughout the ages, people will inevitably die. If they die to save the motherland, they will sacrifice their lives for righteousness. Their loyalty will hang down in the annals of history and reflect through the ages. These two passionate and generous poems show the poet's determination to sacrifice his life for righteousness and fully reflect his national integrity. Because of these two ending lines, the whole poem has become a masterpiece and a great song for the ages.
About the author
Jiangxi Ji'an Prison Southern Song Dynasty Beijing
"Crossing the Lingding Ocean" is a famous patriotic seven-character poem by Wen Tianxiang, a minister of the Southern Song Dynasty. Wen Tianxiang (1236-1283), minister and writer of the Southern Song Dynasty, was a famous national hero. His courtesy name was Lushan, also named Songrui, and his nickname was Wenshan. He was a native of Luling, Jizhou (now Ji'an, Jiangxi). At the age of 20, he got the first place in the Jinshi examination and was promoted to Prime Minister and Privy Envoy. In 1276, the Yuan army approached Lin'an (now Hangzhou), the capital of the Southern Song Dynasty. He was sent to negotiate in the Yuan army camp and was detained. Later, he escaped in Zhenjiang and was rescued by the people. He traveled by sea to Fujian and fought against the Yuan army with Zhang Shijie, Lu Xiufu and others. It once regained some lost territory, but was later defeated by the Yuan army. It retreated into Guangdong and fought in the Haifeng and Chaoyang areas. Zhao Bing, the last emperor of the Song Dynasty, was captured by the Yuan army in December of the first year of Xiangxing's reign (1278). Later, he was escorted to Dadu (now Beijing) and imprisoned for three years. He was repeatedly coerced and induced, and suffered all kinds of torture, but he remained unyielding.
On the ninth day of December in the nineteenth year of Emperor Shizu of the Yuan Dynasty (January 9, 1283), he calmly died in Chaishi, showing his steadfast national integrity. Wen Tianxiang's later works closely reflected reality, artistically reflected the author's struggling life and patriotic thoughts, and showed the scenes of the Southern Song Dynasty soldiers and civilians fighting against the Yuan army. They were written in a melancholy, tragic and touching way. Now there is "The Complete Works of Mr. Wenshan". Famous works such as "Crossing the Lingding Ocean" and "Song of Righteousness" are praised by the world.