How many famous and wealthy people in Chang'an are not as good as you when all the agencies are exhausted. From Huang Tingjian's "Poetry for a Shepherd Boy" written in the Song Dynasty
Poetry for a Shepherd Boy
Huang Tingjian? [Song Dynasty]
Riding a bull far past the front village, the piccolo was blowing across the long distance.
How many famous and wealthy people in Chang'an are not as good as you if they run out of agencies.
Translation
The shepherd boy passed the mountain village far away on his cow. He played the piccolo horizontally, and I could hear it across the field.
Those who are chasing fame and wealth in Chang'an City, even if they try their best, they are not as comfortable as you.
"Riding a bull far past the former village, I could hear the piccolo playing across the distance." It describes the shepherd boy's carefree expression, leisurely playing the piccolo on the back of the cow, just like a painting. The shepherd boy rode the cow and walked slowly through the village;
playing the flute, the sound of the flute floated in the wind in the field. "Riding a bull" and "playing the flute" vividly depict the free and easy image and leisurely mood of the shepherd boy: at the same time, the poet places the shepherd boy on the background of the "village" and "shore", making the picture broad and "wild". "It's rich in flavour.
"There are so many famous and wealthy people in Chang'an who are not as good as you if they have exhausted all their agencies." Reasoning from the facts, compare the "famous and wealthy guests in Chang'an" who are chasing profits and fame and running out of agencies to compare with the leisurely and contented shepherd boy.
How many mediocre people are striving for fame and fortune in the officialdom and working hard, but in fact they are not as comfortable and happy as the shepherd boys! Between one criticism and one praise, the author's mentality of being noble and self-appreciative and not colluding with the vulgar world is revealed. At the same time, he is also praising the shepherd boy.
The "Poetry of a Shepherd Boy" is similar to the one in "A Dream of Red Mansions", "The mechanism was too clever and cost the lives of the ladies." The poem has the same effect. The poem is leisurely and contented, playing the flute on the back of the cow, leaving early and returning late. , a "pastoral" life with no worries about food and clothing is naturally elegant and ideal. Unfortunately, under the dark system, it is just one of the "utopias" of literati.