"I heard that Wang Changling moved to the left and I sent this message to Longbiaoyuan" is a good poem written by Li Bai to express his anger and comfort for his friend Wang Changling who was demoted. In the poetry world of the prosperous Tang Dynasty, Wang Changling was also one of the bright stars. He was famous for writing about frontier subjects, and was particularly good at Qijue. In the early years of Tianbao, Li Bai had a close relationship with him when he was worshiping the Hanlin in Chang'an. Wang Changling encountered ups and downs in his life, and his character was similar to Li Bai's arrogant and unruly character. The time when Wang Changling was demoted to Long Biaowei is uncertain. Some people speculate that it was around the seventh or eighth year of Tianbao. Li Bai left Beijing for a wander in the third year of Tianbao. He was in Yangzhou at this time. When he heard the unfortunate news, he wrote a poem to express his feelings and sent it to his friends far away.
Notes
①. Wang Changling: A poet of the Tang Dynasty, he was demoted to Longbiao County Captain during the Tianbao period.
②. Zuoqian: In ancient times, people respected the right and despised the left, so demotion was called "Zuoqian"
③.Longbiao: The name of a county in the Tang Dynasty, in today's Hunan Guizhou ( Qián) Yang County, where the Longbiao Academy now exists, was very remote in the Tang Dynasty. The poem refers to Wang Changling. Ancient people often called a person by his official position or the name of the state or county where he held the official position.
④. Yanghua: catkins.
⑤. Zigui: The cuckoo bird has a mournful cry.
⑥. Five Streams: The Five Streams referred to by the Tang people refer to Chenxi, Youxi, Wuxi, Wuxi, and Yuanxi. They belonged to the Central Guizhou Road at that time, in today's western Hunan and eastern Guizhou.
⑦. Yelang: Yelang County was established in the Tang Dynasty in Yuanling, Hunan and other places. During the Han Dynasty, ethnic minorities in southwestern China established political power in parts of today's western and northern Guizhou, northeastern Yunnan and southern Sichuan, called Yelang. This refers to Yelang in Hunan (in today's Xinhuang Dong Autonomous County, adjacent to Qianyang). Li Bai was in the southeast at that time, so he said "Follow the wind until Ye Langxi".
⑧. Wen: I heard that
Translation
The poplar trees have fallen and the cuckoos are constantly singing. I heard that you were demoted to the dragon We marked it, it was a remote place and we had to pass through Wuxi. Let me entrust my sorrow and longing for you to the bright moon in the sky, and accompany you all the way to the west of Yelang!
Writing background
This Qijue poem was written by Li Bai to his good friend Wang Changling, titled "I heard that Wang Changling moved to the left and Long Biaoyuan sent this message". "New Tang Book. Biography of Literature and Art" records that Wang Changling moved to the left of Longbiao (now Longli Township, Jinping County, Guizhou Province) (the ancients respected the right and despised the left, so the demoted official was called Zuoqian) because he "did not protect his careful conduct", and also That is to say, his offense and demotion were not due to any major issues, but simply due to lack of discipline in the details of his life. In "Farewell to Xin Jian at the Furong Tower", Wang Changling also said to his good friend: "As friends and relatives in Luoyang ask each other, a heart of ice is in a jade pot." That is to follow the metaphor of "as clear as ice in a jade pot" in Bao Zhao's "Baitou Yin" , to show one's purity and innocence. It is completely understandable that after Li Bai heard about his unfortunate experience, he wrote this poem full of sympathy and concern and sent it to him from afar. This is a short lyrical chapter of just four sentences, but the emotional weight is quite heavy. At the beginning, it selects two things with local characteristics to depict the late spring scene in southern China and create a sad and melancholy atmosphere. Poplars are catkins. Zigui is the alias of the cuckoo bird. According to legend, this bird is the spirit of Du Yu, King of Shu, and its song is extremely sad and moving. The dragon mark here refers to Wang Changling. It has been a trend among literati since the Tang Dynasty to use the official name as a title. The five streams are Chenxi, Youxi, Wuxi, Wuxi, and Yuanxi at the junction of Hunan and Guizhou. In the Tang Dynasty, this area was still regarded as a remote and barren land, and it was also the place where Wang Changling was going to be demoted. After reading these two poems, it is not difficult for people to imagine that the poet was traveling abroad in the late spring of March in the South, with catkins falling in front of his eyes and the sad calls of birds in his ears. The scenery is enough to make people feel sad, not to mention the news that an old friend from far away has been unfortunately demoted. How can people not worry and feel sad for their friends?
Poetry Appreciation
This Qijue poem was written by Li Bai to his good friend Wang Changling, titled "I heard that Wang Changling moved to the left and sent this to Long Biaoyuan." "New Book of Tang Dynasty. Biography of Literature and Art" records that Wang Changling moved to the left of Longbiao (now Longli Township, Jinping County, Guizhou Province) (the ancients were still right, so they called the demoted official Zuoqian) because he "did not protect his meticulous conduct", that is to say, He was offended and demoted not because of any major problems, but simply because he was not careful in the details of his life. In "Farewell to Xin Jian at the Furong Tower", Wang Changling also said to his good friend: "As friends and relatives in Luoyang ask each other, a heart of ice is in a jade pot." That is to follow the metaphor of "as clear as ice in a jade pot" in Bao Zhao's "Baitou Yin" , to show one's purity and innocence.
It is completely understandable that after Li Bai heard about his unfortunate experience, he wrote this poem full of sympathy and concern and sent it to him from afar. This is a short lyrical chapter of just four sentences, but the emotional weight is quite heavy.
At the beginning, it selects two things with local characteristics to depict the late spring scene in the South and create a sad and melancholy atmosphere. Poplars are catkins. Zigui is the alias of the cuckoo bird. According to legend, this bird is the spirit of Du Yu, King of Shu, and its song is extremely sad and moving. The dragon mark here refers to Wang Changling. It has been a trend among literati since the Tang Dynasty to use the official name as a title. The five streams are Chenxi, Youxi, Wuxi, Wuxi, and Yuanxi at the junction of Hunan and Guizhou. In the Tang Dynasty, this area was still regarded as a remote and barren land, and it was also where Wang Changling was going to be demoted.
The first two sentences may seem plain, but they actually contain relatively rich content and play a multi-faceted role: they not only describe the season, but also describe the atmosphere, not only highlight the title, but also serve as a lyrical basis for the next two sentences. The two sentences "I send my sorrowful heart to the bright moon, and follow the wind until the night is in the west" closely follow the above and express the poet's feelings here and now. The word "jun" is written as "wind". The so-called "Yelang" here does not refer to the Yelang Kingdom of the Han Dynasty, but to the Yelang County of the Sui Dynasty, which should be in the Chenxi area of ????Hunan Province (see "Yudi Jisheng" Volume 71); and Longbiao It is just west of Chenxi, so there is a saying "until Yelangxi". The word "sorrowful heart" in the sentence also contains rich content and is worth pondering carefully. Why is the poet full of sorrow? It can be said that here there are deep worries about what happened to old friends, as well as indignation and grievances about the reality at that time, sincere thoughts, and sincere concern. Before Wang Changling was demoted, he was the Prime Minister of Jiangning. He went up the river from Jiangning to Longbiao. Naturally, the poet who was far away in Yangzhou and was uncertain about his travels could not say goodbye to his old friend in person, so he had to entrust his deep feelings to the bright moon thousands of miles away and express his longing to his old friend. Worried. The use of the bright moon expresses the feeling of missing hometown and friends. This association and expression technique have appeared more than once in Li Bai's poems when he heard that Wang Changling moved to his left and Long Biaoyuan sent this message
. Bao Zhao's poem: "At three, five, two and eight o'clock, I am with you thousands of miles away." Tang Huixiu's "Poetry of Resentment": "The bright moon shines on the high building, and you are thousands of miles away." There is also a line in "Song of Midnight and Four O'clock" by Yuefu in the Southern Dynasties: "Look up at the bright moon. , the sentence of sending love to a thousand miles of light. But comparing them with these two poems by Li Bai, it can be said that Li's poems are better than others. Poets of previous generations only thought of relatives and friends in other places after seeing the bright moon, or wanted to ask the moon to express their deep feelings. However, Li Bai here not only asked the moon to express his feelings, but also asked the bright moon to be his substitute, accompanied by the unfortunate misfortune. The friend went all the way to a remote and desolate place west of Yelang. The genre of ancient Chinese poetry became popular in the Tang Dynasty. As a master craftsman of his generation, Li Bai could use all genres with ease and ease. However, his exquisite achievements in Song Xing and Qijue are especially talked about by future generations. In Li Bai's collection, there are dozens of poems with themes of farewell and genres, but none of them have the same conception or expression method. "The clear stream flows to the Three Gorges at night, and I miss you when you go to Yuzhou without seeing me" ("Moon Song of Mount Emei") uses "fu", "The water in Peach Blossom Pond is a thousand feet deep, not as deep as Wang Lun's love for me" ("Gift to Wang Lun") uses "bi" , "The shadow of the lonely sail in the distance is gone in the blue sky, and only the Yangtze River can be seen flowing in the sky" ("Yellow Crane Tower Farewell to Meng Haoran in Guangling") embodies the sentiment in the scenery, "The bright moon does not return and sinks into the blue sea, and the white clouds fill the sky with sorrow" ("Crying Chao Hengqing") 》) Scenario blending. No matter which technique is used, it can truly and vividly convey the author's sincerity to his friends, making people endlessly memorable; and this poem is unique among similar poems with its imagination and unique conception. The poet's ingenuity and skill can also be seen here.
Thoughts and Feelings
The first sentence, "The poplar flowers have fallen and the child is crying" is a scene in late spring when Li Bai "heard that Wang Changling moved to the left". "The poplar flowers have fallen" describes the depressing situation when spring fades. The cuckoo weeps and screams, further exaggerating the bleakness and sadness of the environment. The second sentence "I heard that Longbiao crossed the Five Streams", Longbiao is located in Qianyang County, Hunan Province today. Wuxi refers to Chenxi, Youxi, Wuxi, Wuxi and Yuanxi in western Hunan. At that time, Longbiao County was a place where ethnic minorities lived together. The streams were deep and dangerous, "out of the way of human beings," and the living conditions were difficult. Wang Changling set out from Jiangning and had to go upstream along the Yangtze River, pass through Dongting, and enter the Yuanjiang River before arriving at the remote and desolate Longbiao. The poem depicts Wang Changling's "left migration" and the long and dangerous journey to his post. His heart is desolate and the environment is desolate, which further shows Li Bai's concern and sympathy for his poet friend who was banished to a distant place. The three or four sentences "I send my sorrowful heart to the bright moon, and follow the wind until the night is in the west" are to express my love for the scenery and express heartfelt encouragement and comfort to the poet's friends. It means that I send my love for you to the bright moon, hoping that the bright moonlight, which is rare in thousands of miles, will carry my thoughts with you to the remote place where you are far away, and comfort your lonely figure. In Li Bai's writings, the bright moon is an elegant and pure sentimental object. In this poem, he sends his "sorrowful heart" to the bright moon, which not only shows that Li Bai and Wang Changling's souls are as pure and bright as the bright moon, but also implies that as long as the bright moon is still there, their friendship will be as eternal as the bright moon. long. It is enough to have only one confidant in life." What's more, Wang Changling has many confidants! Among the many confidants, Li Bai's selfless support, firm trust and sincere friendship not only gave Wang Changling warmth, but also gave him peace of mind against evil forces. The courage to fight. Wang Changling later wrote two poems "Sending Firewood to Serve the Emperor" and "Longbiao Picnic" when he was demoted, both of which washed away the low mood of "sadness and ecstasy" and expressed his broad mind and optimistic spirit. The previous poem reads, "The Yuanshui River connects to Wugang, and I see you off without feeling the pain of separation." The green mountains are together with the clouds and rain, how could the bright moon ever be the two villages? "The latter poem reads, "The cool breeze of late summer in Yuan River brings spring wine to the bamboo bushes. Don't worry about being banished far away when singing string songs. The bright moon over the green mountains is never empty. "Both of these two poems are filled with high spirits because of the "green mountains and bright moon" accompanying him. Perhaps Wang Changling also saw the friendly support sent to him by poets such as Li Bai and Chang Jian from the bright moon, right?! In addition, It can also be seen from these two poems by Wang Changling that Li and Wang had a close friendship, a deep understanding of each other, and a close interest in each other. Otherwise, how could the "bright moon" in the poem play the magical role of comforting each other? This poem is deeply emotional, lofty in artistic conception, broad-minded, and gives people a feeling of high spirits.
In ancient times, due to the influence and poison of feudal class ideology, some literati often lamented the ups and downs of their official career, and some even felt "sad" because of the "left migration". However, Li Bai went against the common idea and regarded official advancement as secondary, and put "life is valuable" and cherishing friendship first. Showing elegant and bold feelings. The style and realm of the whole poem have also become lofty and profound due to the poet's noble thoughts. This poem has always been quite famous. Just as Hu Yinglin of the Ming Dynasty highly praised it in Volume 6 of "Shi Sou", "It has the meaning of swaying and rebuking the eight poles, and reaching the sky."
Structural analysis
The first sentence describes the scene and highlights the season. The wandering Yang Hua alone in the scenery, and the words "It's better to go back" contained the feeling of wandering and the hatred of parting. It was in line with the situation at that time and blended into the scene. Because the first sentence has already seen the scene, the second sentence directly narrates the incident. "Wen Dao" means surprise and pity. "Crossing the Five Streams", I saw that the desolate place of relegation was far away and the road was difficult. There are no words of sorrow, but the meaning of sorrow is obvious. The last two sentences are lyrical. People separated by two places find it difficult to follow each other, but the moon shines in the sky and can travel thousands of miles away, so you should send your sorrow to the bright moon and let it float with the wind to Yelang. The meaning expressed by these two lines of poems has three meanings. One is that one's heart is full of sorrow, and there is nothing to tell and no one understands. One can only entrust this sorrow to the bright moon; the other is that only the bright moon shines on two places. , he and his friends can see her; the third is that, therefore, he can only rely on her to express his sorrow, and there is no other way. The poet Li Bai used rich imagination to describe like-minded friendship in the form of love between men and women, and gave the abstract "sorrowful heart" the attribute of an object, so that it would follow the wind and the moon to the west of the night. This kind of giving one's own feelings to objective things, making them also have feelings, that is, making them personified, is one of the great characteristics and advantages of image thinking. The originally ignorant and ruthless Mingyue turned into an intimate person who understood herself and was full of sympathy. She was able and willing to accept her request, and brought her thoughts and sympathy for her friends to the far west of Yelang and handed them over to her. The unfortunate exile. How passionate she is! When poets need to express strong or deep emotions, they often use such a method to achieve the desired effect. The astonishing imagination, extraordinary spirit, and agile brushstrokes fully demonstrate Li Bai's artistic personality. This is the real reason why "I heard that Wang Changling moved to the left and Long Biaoyuan sent this message" has long-lasting artistic charm.