Although the turtle ① has a long life, it still has its time; the snake ② rides on the mist and eventually becomes ashes.
The old man ③ is in a state of depression, and his ambition is thousands of miles; the martyr ④ is ambitious in his old age.
The period of profit and contraction ⑤ is not only in heaven; the blessing of nurturing happiness ⑥ can lead to eternal life.
Fortunately, I can sing to express my ambition⑦.
Notes ① Divine Turtle: The ancients believed that turtles are longevity creatures and have psychic properties, so they are called "divine turtles". Actually: completion, death.
②Snake: A legendary snake that can soar into the clouds and ride in the mist, and is similar to the dragon. End: finally, to the end.
③Laoji: an old and frail horse. Fang: manger.
④Martyr: A person with great ambition.
⑤ "Prosperity and contraction" sentence: The length of human life is not only controlled by God.
⑥Yangyi: refers to maintaining the body and calming the mind. Yongnian: longevity.
⑦Fortunately, singing to chant one's aspirations: This sentence was added for Hele and has nothing to do with the content of the text.
Explain that although the divine tortoise has a long life, it will still end its life; although the god snake can fly into the clouds and ride in the mist, it will inevitably turn into dust in the end. An old and feeble horse lies beside the manger, but it still has the ambition to run a thousand miles every day; a man with lofty ideals remains passionate even in his old age. The length of your life is not just determined by God; if you take good care of yourself, you can also extend your life. I'm so happy that I can use poetry to express my pride
Analysis: This poem is the fourth in the Yuefu group of poems "Stepping out of the Xiamen" written by Cao Cao. It takes the last line of the first line of the poem. Three characters as the title. When this poem was written, Cao Cao was already fifty-three years old. In ancient times, this was almost his twilight years. Although he had just won the victory in the Northern Expedition to Wuhuan and was on his way home in triumph, the poet thought that his ambition to unify China had not yet been realized. He thought that he was already in his twilight years, that life was short and time was not waiting for him. How could he not lament the limited life! However, the poet is not pessimistic. He still motivates himself with the spirit of continuous improvement and makes achievements. "Gui Sui Shou" expresses exactly such a positive theme.
The poem uses turtles and snakes as metaphors to illustrate that all creatures in the world go through the process of birth, growth, strength, aging, and death. Life is limited and years are fleeting. The poet compares himself with an old horse, showing that although he is old, his pride has not diminished. The metaphor of "the old man is in trouble and aims for a thousand miles" is used as a metaphor for "the martyr's ambition is endless in his old age", which expresses the poet's mind and ambition and exudes the inspirational power of thought.