A tree, a tree
Stand apart from each other
Wind and air
Tell them the distance
But under the cover of soil,
Their roots have been elongated.
In the unseen depths
They tangled their roots together.
Creation background
The tree was written in the spring of 1940. At this time, War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression has been going on for more than two years, and is turning into a difficult stalemate stage. This national war is giving all the people a baptism, making their souls undergo severe tempering in the war and gradually moving towards spiritual awakening. Ai Qing is deeply aware of the trend of the times and the pulse of society, and realizes that the national awakening has arrived.
Trees are just a concrete thing in nature. The poet entrusted things to the tree, praising a spirit of unity and hard work that is independent, progressive and rooted. The high integration of image and thinking is the common feature of all successful literary works.