Willow
Every spring is pitiful, fighting for three times and sleeping three times.
The traces of melancholy are scattered by the wind, and the beauty of the rain is reflected in the rain.
In ancient times, I wanted to lead a wanderer on the ferry, but when I left the pavilion, I left a whip for the traveler.
The sound of a flute fades into the night, and looking back at the vast expanse, there are a few smokey trees.
From the "Book of Songs" "I have passed away, and the willows are still there", there are not many works in the past dynasties that chant willows or use "willow" to convey the feeling of "farewell". . But Zhou Zhihui's seven-note poem, which chants willow without a single word "liu", can be said to be quick-thinking, rich in imagination, unexpected and unconventional, and has extremely high artistic value.
Zhou Zhihui, courtesy name Jiesu, was born in Qiantang (Hangzhou). She was the daughter of Zhou Shu and the wife of Chen Zhongheng. Her house name was Yu Bixuan. She had two volumes of "Yu Bixuan Yin Manuscripts" and one volume of "Shi Yu". Some of the poetry manuscripts were collected by his grandson Chen Jingfu and included in "Chen Family Collection". His father, Zhou Peng (1684-?), was the number one scholar in the eighth year of Yongzheng reign (1730). He served as editor of the Hanlin Academy and participated in the collation and compilation of "Kangxi Dictionary". In his childhood, Zhou Zhihui was taught by his father, Buyun layman Zhou Lei, and received good cultural influence since he was a child, and he was good at chanting. After marriage, Zhou Zhihui and her husband Chen Zhongheng "played the piano and played the piano quietly" and often interacted with relatives and friends to sing and sing. They lived a prosperous life and their poetry style became more leisurely and elegant.
The first couplet "Every spring is pitiful, fighting for three times and sleeping three times" uses personification to describe Chunliu's mood. "Three rises and three sleeps" alludes to the "human willow" in "The Story of Sanfu": "There is a willow in the garden of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. It looks like a human. It is called the human willow. It rises and sleeps three times a day." About "Liu Mian" "The allusion of "Liu Sanmian" is mentioned in Song Dynasty's "Mansou Poems" by an unknown person:
I heard that "Liu Sanmian" was mentioned in the song, but I don't know where it came from. Later, I read Yu Xisheng's "Jiang Zhi Yan Fu" and said: "It's like the cow star on the river bank, which is only heard once every other year; it's not like the willow in the garden, which only has three sleeps in the end." Note: "There are willows in the Han Garden, which look like The human form rises and falls three times a day."
Willows can "rise", "fall", and "sleep". It is difficult to understand. Some people thought that Emperor Wen of Han Dynasty rose and slept three times in order to appreciate willows. , but from what is recorded in "Mansou's Poems", it is still an anthropomorphic allegory, describing the "weak willow"'s graceful attitude in the wind, which can easily be associated with the gracefulness, charm and sentimentality of women. When we read this sentence carefully, the poet seemed to sigh in the personification of a weak willow in early spring, "It is pitiful to have spring every year, and I have three fights and three sleeps." The word "fighting for the ban" is used very well. Xiaoliu didn't want to "get up and sleep three times", but the spring breeze blew on his face, the warmth was lingering, and the spring was difficult to bear, so he said "fighting for the ban".
The couplet on the chin, "The traces of melancholy are turbulent with the wind, and the drizzle is graceful with the rain" further describes the grace of spring willows. The swaying willows are like "little melancholy" rising in the wind, and the bright and beautiful thin willows are even more charming after the new rain. It is not uncommon to use the word "Zhuo Zhuo" to describe willows in spring. For example, "Book of Jin·Biography of Wang Gong" says: "Gong, beautiful appearance, loved by many people, or as the saying goes: 'Zhuo Zhuo is like a willow in the spring moon.'" Tang Dynasty Qiao Zhizhi's poem "Breaking Willows": "Poor spring willows, my hands will be thin after climbing and breaking." It should be noted here that "Zhao Zhuo" means "bright". From a theoretical point of view, the willows under the bright spring light will appear "Zhuo Zhuo". ” rather than how “bright” the willow tree itself is.
The neck couplet "The ancient ferry wanted to hold the traveler's paddle, and he left the pavilion to give the traveler a whip" still uses anthropomorphic techniques to describe the charming and sentimental spring willows on the shore of the ancient ferry that are reluctant to leave and "want to hold" the traveler's paddle. But he was still gentle and honest, never stalking, nor was he hoarse. In the end, he left the pavilion and left a whip for travelers. "Li Pavilion" is also a post pavilion. In ancient times, people often held farewell banquets here. It is also a common image in classical poems to express farewell, such as "Jiangjin Farewell Liu Guanglu is not enough" by Yin Keng of the Southern Dynasty, "There are empty birds in the mooring, but people have dispersed in Li Pavilion" In the painting "Linjiang Immortal" by Xuchang of the Song Dynasty, "Drinking disperses and leaves the pavilion to the west, floating and growing hate" and so on. "Traveler's whip" here refers to the "willow whip" made by spring willows from their own willow branches. Breaking willows to make whips is an ancient custom during spring outings. The gift of a "traveler's whip" here not only expresses the deep affection of the personified spring willow, but also demonstrates a character that understands righteousness.
The last couplet, "The sound of a flute makes the river fade into the night, and looking back at the vast sky and the smoke of several trees" is the concluding sentence of the entire farewell scene, and the description object is also switched to the farewell wanderer. It should be noted here that "恁" does not mean haggard. "河恁" means "river pole". The wanderer is taking a boat for a long trip, and the "blow of the flute" is played by the wanderer who is traveling far away. "Looking back" means that the wanderer is looking back at the shore. It can be seen that the poet here gave all his pen and ink to the wanderer, and "willow" is just the vagueness and vagueness of "a few trees and smoke" in the eyes of the wanderer who traveled far away. This kind of ending with free transition and endless charm is a wonderful work.
The whole poem is developed with personification. The personified "willow" is similar to the fragments in the "cartoon": the weak willow in the spring breeze "fights for the ban", "desires to hold" and "leave gifts". These actions and The images are very imaginative and creative, which can be described as lively and full of charm among the willow chanting works of the past dynasties.
(Author’s unit: Institute of Ancient Books, East China Normal University)