"The wild flowers are gradually enchanting the eyes, and only the Asakusa has no horse hooves." This poem comes from "Spring Journey to Qiantang Lake" by Bai Juyi, a poet of the Tang Dynasty. It means: "The wild flowers are dazzling when they bloom, and the spring grass has not grown tall and has just covered the horseshoes."
These two sentences express the author's description and emotion of the spring scenery.
"The flowers gradually become enchanting" describes the scene of prosperous flowers in spring. The flowers bloom in disorder and in large numbers, so many that they seem to distract people's sight and visual experience. This expresses the grand scene of blooming flowers in spring, which makes people feel dazzling and beautiful.
"Only shallow grass can avoid horse hooves" refers to the short, tender green grass in spring, and only slightly low grass can be covered by horse hooves. The grass here corresponds to the flowers in the previous sentence, showing a spring scene of budding vitality.
The whole sentence depicts the scenery of spring through vivid metaphors and image language. It expresses the luxuriant flowers and colorful flowers in spring, as well as the emerging green grass, giving people a strong visual impact and a feeling of vitality. At the same time, it also implies the beautiful scene that spring is coming and everything in nature begins to recover.
Original text
Spring Trip to Qiantang Lake
Bai Juyi [Tang Dynasty]
North of Gushan Temple and west of Jia Pavilion, the water surface is initially level at the feet of clouds Low.
Early orioles are vying for warmth in several places, and new swallows are pecking at the spring mud.
The wild flowers are becoming more and more charming, and only in Asakusa can there be no horse hooves.
My favorite lake is the east side of the lake, with its green poplar shade and white sand embankment.
Translation
From the north of Gushan Temple to the west of Jia Ting, the spring water on the lake has just reached the level of the embankment, and the white clouds hang low, connecting with the lake.
A few early orioles are flying to the sunny trees, and the newly arrived swallows are busy building nests and carrying mud.
The numerous flowers gradually bloomed, dazzling people's eyes, and the shallow green grass was just enough to cover the horses' hooves.
My favorite scenery in the east of the lake is that I never tire of visiting it. Rows of willows pass through a white sand embankment in the shade.
Notes
Qiantang Lake: the West Lake in Hangzhou.
Gushan Temple: Built in the early years of Emperor Chen Wen (522-565) during the Northern and Southern Dynasties, it was named Chengfu and renamed Guanghua in the Song Dynasty. Gushan: Located between the inner and outer lakes of West Lake, it is called Gushan because it is not connected to other mountains. There is Gushan Pavilion on it, which overlooks the panoramic view of West Lake.
Jia Ting: also called Jia Gongting. One of the scenic spots in West Lake, it was built by Jia Quan of the Tang Dynasty. During the Zhenyuan period of the Tang Dynasty (785-805 reign of Emperor Dezong of the Tang Dynasty), Jia Quan served as the governor of Hangzhou and built a pavilion at Qiantang Lake. Known as "Jia Ting" or "Jia Gong Pavilion", the pavilion was built in the late Tang Dynasty.
The water surface is initially flat: The lake water is just level with the embankment, that is, the spring water is beginning to rise. Chu: used as an adverb in ancient Chinese, often used to express time, which means soon.
The clouds have low feet: white clouds overlap one another and are connected with the waves on the lake. It seems that the floating clouds are very low, so it is said that "the clouds have low feet". Point out the starting points and routes of spring outings, and focus on describing the lake scenery. It is more common when it is about to rain or when it first stops raining.
Cloud base: clouds close to the ground, often seen when it rains or when it first stops. The original meaning of "foot" refers to the walking organ of humans and animals. This refers to low-hanging clouds.
Early oriole: Oriole that comes early in early spring. Oriole: Oriole, with a melodious song. Fighting for the warmth of the tree: Fighting to fly to the sunny branches. Nuan Shu: A sunny tree.
New swallow: a swallow that has just returned from the south. Pecking: picking up. Swallows build nests with mud in their mouths. When I look up during the spring trip, I can see the singing and dancing of orioles, which is full of life and charm. Focus on birds.
Indiscriminate flowers: numerous flowers. Gradually: adverb, gradually. Desire: adverb, will, will. Charming eyes: dazzling.
Asakusa: light green grass.
Talent: Just enough.
无(mò): cover up, cover up.
Hudong: Taking Gushan as a reference, Baisha Di (i.e. Baidi) is to the northeast of Gushan. Inadequacy of travel: Never tire of traveling. Satisfied, satisfied.
Yin: Same as "yin", referring to the shade of trees. Baisha Embankment: Today's Baisha Embankment, also known as Sand Embankment and Broken Bridge Embankment, is located on the east bank of West Lake and existed before the Tang Dynasty. The White Causeway built by Bai Juyi when he was the governor of Hangzhou is another one outside Qiantang Gate.
Appreciation
This poem is like a short and concise travel note, starting from Gushan and Jiating and ending at Hudong and Baidi. Along the way, there are green lakes and green mountains. In the scenery as beautiful as heaven, the poet enjoyed the singing and dancing of orioles, and was intoxicated by the singing of birds and the fragrance of flowers. Finally, he walked along the white sand embankment under the green shade of willows with unfinished content, turned back three times at a step, and left reluctantly. The hymn of spring played by all things in the world is still echoing in my ears, and a beautiful poem full of the joy of natural integration flows out of my heart involuntarily.
Creative background
In July of the second year of Changqing (822 AD, during the reign of Emperor Mu Zong of the Tang Dynasty), Bai Juyi was appointed governor of Hangzhou. In the first year of Baoli (825 AD, during the Tang Dynasty) In March of the Jingzong period), he served as the governor of Suzhou, so this poem "Spring Journey to Qiantang Lake" was written in the spring of the third or fourth year of Changqing (823 and 824 AD).
About the author
Bai Juyi (772-846), whose courtesy name was Letian, also known as Xiangshan Jushi, and also Mr. Zuiyin, was originally from Taiyuan. He moved to Xiagui when his great-grandfather was born. in Xinzheng, Henan. He was a great realist poet in the Tang Dynasty and one of the three major poets in the Tang Dynasty.
Bai Juyi and Yuan Zhen jointly advocated the New Yuefu Movement, known as "Yuan Bai" in the world, and "Liu Bai" together with Liu Yuxi. Bai Juyi's poetry has a wide range of themes, diverse forms, and simple and popular language. He is known as the "Poetry Demon" and the "Poetry King". He became a bachelor of the Hanlin Academy and a doctor of Zuo Zanshan. In 846 AD, Bai Juyi died in Luoyang and was buried in Xiangshan. There is "Bai's Changqing Collection" handed down from generation to generation, and his representative poems include "Song of Everlasting Sorrow", "Charcoal Seller", "Pipa Play" and so on.