The drums of the defenders cut off people's communication, and a lonely goose was singing in autumn in the frontier.
The dew turns to frost tonight, and the moonlight at home is bright!
Brothers are scattered, and no one can ask about life and death.
Letters sent to Luoyang city are often not delivered, and wars often do not stop.
Translation:
The drums of the garrison are louder and no traffic is allowed; In autumn at the border, only lonely geese are heard. Tonight coincides with the Millennium Festival, and the moon is as bright as my hometown. My brothers are separated, and my hometown is homeless. I don't know if my relatives are dead or alive. Letters are often not received after they are sent, and the war has not stopped.
This poem was written by Du Fu in Qin Zhou in the autumn of the second year of Gan Yuan (759). In September this year, Shi Siming led the troops south from Fan Yang, captured Bianzhou and moved west to Luoyang. Shandong and Henan are at war. At that time, Du Fu's younger brothers were scattered in this area, and because of the war, there was no communication, which made him feel intense anxiety and yearning. Remembering Brothers on a Moonlit Night is a true record of his thoughts and feelings at that time. Homesickness for relatives and friends is a common theme in classical poetry. In order to avoid mediocrity and originality, it is not enough to rely solely on the author's life experience, but also to be ingenious in expression. It is in dealing with this common theme that Du Fu reveals his true colors.
Poetry is abrupt and uneven. The title is Moonlit Night, but the author did not start from the moonlit night, but first described a picture of Autumn in Frontier fortress: "Wanderers smell drums to herald battles, and geese sing autumn colors." Write down what you see when the road is broken; Look at the drums and geese, and write down what you hear. It's sad to see and hear. The heavy and monotonous drums and the lonely geese on the horizon not only did not bring a trace of vitality, but made the already desolate frontier fortress more desolate and silent. Broken Pedestrian points out the social environment, which shows that wars are frequent and fierce, and roads are impassable. The two poems render a strong and sad atmosphere, which is the background of Moonlit Night.
Parallel connection point. "He knows the dew will be frost tonight" not only describes the scenery, but also points out the season. It was on the night of the Millennium Festival. It's clear and full of dew, which makes people feel chilly. "The moonlight at home is how bright!" It is also a landscape painting, but it is slightly different from the previous sentence. What the author writes is not completely objective, but incorporates his own subjective feelings. It's a bright moon in the world, and it makes no difference. Determined to say that the moon in my hometown is the brightest; It's obviously my own psychological illusion, so I have to be so sure, no doubt. However, this fantasy-based approach will not make people feel unreasonable, because it profoundly shows the author's subtle psychology and highlights his feelings for his hometown. These two sentences are also very skillful in refining sentences. All they want to say is "tonight is white" and "the moon in my hometown". Only by changing the word order, the tone is particularly vigorous and powerful. So Wang Dechen said: "Zi Mei is good at using things and common language. If she is isolated or inverted, her language will be healthy and firm, and her meaning will be profound and stable." ("Bird History") From here, we can also see Du Fu's ability to turn the tablet into magic.
The above four sentences are written casually, which seems to have nothing to do with missing my brother, but they are not. Not only writing "Looking Back at the Moon", but also listening to drums, geese and cold dew make the author feel sad and nostalgic. In fact, I remember every word of my brother, and every word is affectionate.
Poetry has a natural transition from full moon to lyricism. Moonlight often makes people daydream, and it is easier to evoke homesickness. In today's chaotic poet, on this cold moonlit night, naturally, he has a special taste. Where will you go? Anxiety is mixed with melancholy, and the tone is particularly painful. "Oh, my brothers, lost and scattered, what is my life without you?" The last sentence said that the two brothers are separated and live far apart; The next sentence says that there is no home, life and death are unpredictable, and it is heartbreaking to read. These two poems also summarize the common experiences of people in the An Shi Rebellion.
"However, what can I expect in wartime if there is something wrong with the letters in peacetime?" Close to five or six sentences to further express inner worries. Relatives are scattered everywhere, but they often don't send books at ordinary times, not to mention frequent wars and unpredictable life and death. Implication, infinite affection. After reading this poem, we can easily understand why Du Fu was able to write such a poem as "After three months of war, a letter from home is worth a ton of gold" ("Spring Hope"). A profound life experience is the deepest source of artistic creation.
The whole poem is well organized, coordinated from beginning to end, with distinct levels and rigorous structure. If you don't fight, you will have, if you don't go, you will remember your brother when you look at the moon, if you are homeless, you will not be able to deliver books, and if you leave, your life and death will be unknown.
During the Anshi Rebellion, Du Fu was displaced from place to place, suffering hardships and worrying about the country and the people, which was really filled with emotion. As long as you touch it gently, many things will flow out from the bottom of the pen together, so the common theme of homesickness is written out by sadness and frustration.